


The Not So Fragile Jack Spicer

by UberShortyChick327



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Chack, Fluff, Jack Needs a Hug, i have no idea what im doing, really bad past, sassy chase
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-08 02:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1924125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UberShortyChick327/pseuds/UberShortyChick327
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Spicer has been through hell and back within the year he went mysteriously missing from the Xiaolin scene, only to come back with a rather large collection of scars and much of his old self lost; his own mind included. Chase Young intervenes in a last ditch effort to rid himself of his immortal boredom, intrigued by his old annoyance's changes, yet realizing he might have gotten more than he bargained for in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. back from the dead

**Author's Note:**

> so this is the first fic I've ever put up and I know my grammar may be a bit off and my writing a bit immature so I would love any and all constructive criticism that anyone has to offer :) thank you guys for reading!

I cursed softly under my breath as more oil dripped on my face from my latest project, a big and very important vehicle which I was currently residing under.

“Jack-bot!” I called from under my new car. There was a metallic whirring noise as the bronze robot floated over, stopping just a few feet beside my head.

“Yes sir?” it chanted in a mechanical monotone.

“Get me a towel will ya? I’ve got oil dripping all over me.”

“Of course sir.” It beeped, not wasting any time as it got me what I wanted.

“Thanks.” I said as I grabbed the towel. I don’t know why I said it, it was just a robot after all. Maybe I was just lonely…. Or loony…..probably loony.

            I wiped my face, tossing the loony thought to the side as I finished installing the fourth and final laser canon on the car. Now for the launch start for races, roman tire popper thingies on the hubcaps that’ll retract, and neon lights on the bottom. I finished the nitro hours ago.

“Jackson!!!!” I heard my mom say from upstairs and I sighed. What’d the broad want now?

“Yeah!” I yelled back up.

“Honey come up here please?”

I sighed again, pulling out from under the car and wiping myself off, pulling my faux leather jacket on to cover the scars on my arms, the shirt covering the ones on my chest while my face and neck were open to the public. I sighed again as I exited my lab, snapping my fingers to seal the door and hide it from the world. I walked through my normal room, little tinker toys were littered on several tables to fool my parents on how I spent my time. They weren’t tinker toys to most but they were to me.

“Yeah mom?” I asked as I came up the stairs from my basement room, not really hiding my irritation.

“Hey honey just wanted to say goodbye before me and your father shove off.” She giggled, her personal butler Carson about to collapse under the weight of her luggage behind her.

“You guys are leaving?” I asked as she kissed my head where my unnaturally died neon red hair rested on my forehead.

“Oh did I forget to tell you?” she asked as though she forgot to tell me she was leaving for the store. “Your father and I are going to Paris for a business trip. I know we’ve only been here for three days but you’re a big kid right? I mean you can take care of yourself for a month or so right?”

I paused as I processed another few months alone. “Yeah mom.” I said, faking a smile for her. “You guys have fun.”

“Oh you’re such a good boy Jackson.” She smiled, giving me a light hug and another kiss. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Bye mom.” I said, letting my smile droop as she opened the door, letting it totally slip away as she finally disappeared. “See you in another few months…..”

            I let my shoulders droop as I walked back to my lab, suddenly too tired to really work on my new car.

            I looked around my room, dark navy blue walls with taped on band posters and knickknacks my parents had brought back from their vacations and business trips littered a lone shelf. There was only a hand full of them though, they hardly ever come home, even in all my seventeen years of living.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair only to find car grease in it. “Ew.” I took off my jacket and wiped my hands on my shirt. “Guess I better take a shower.” I said as I began to walk to the humongous bathroom joined to my room. it was all light tan colored tiles and cream colored jet bathtubs, a separate modern shower was a few feet away from the large basin and a walk in closet a foot past that. I actually liked it a lot.

            Pants and shirt came off as I walked in, only to be thrown onto my already littered bedroom floor and I caught my refection in the mirror.

_Scar face._ I thought to myself.

            Damn, and I thought I was ugly before. There wasn’t an inch of unmarked flesh on me, all light ridges from cuts and strange, almost rubbery skin textures from burns, fire and acid alike. I also had a mocking rendition carved into my face, the same as what I used to draw on my cheeks with eyeliner. Now I had to draw the markings on my cheeks to hide the marred skin.

            I sighed as I traced that most obvious scar, trailing down to another one I hated so much, stitch marks that had made perfect little scar lines on my lips, making me look like Jack Skelington with red eyes and hair. I had been so embarrassed about all the scars that I hadn’t shown up to a show down since the accident, I knew I was going to have to sooner or later, although they probably liked the fact I had been gone for so long.

“No pity parties Jack.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck before turning on the water in the shower.

 

It was early in the morning when I woke up, a loud beeping going off and I groaned as I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. It kept beeping anyway.

“What is wrong with yooooouu?” I groaned as I picked up my head, lifting my alarm clock to see the glowing red numbers of 7:25. “Its Saturday I yanked hard, feeling the plug come out of the wall socket but it rang anyway. “Huh?”

            I looked over to see that it was the Shen Gong Wu detector going off and I instantly hopped to my bare feet to look at the holographic image blinking at me in light blue.

It was the shroud of shadows.

“I’ve been wanting this one back.” I said. “But it’s already been found, why is it showing up again?”

            It must have gotten lost or something while I was gone. It was the only reason I could think of.

_But should I go?_

            I paced a moment, catching myself in the mirror hanging on my door and looking myself up and down.

“Just for this one.” my reflection told me. I nodded at myself in confirmation before running into the closet, getting dressed in a plain red T-shirt and jeans, throwing a light black leather jacket on since I had ditched the trench coat after the accident. Finally I laced up a pair of comfortable black and white sneakers and threw on my heli-pack. I had spray painted over the face that buckled in the front and the one on the back, making it match my jacket.

            I gulped as I took several Drones with me, getting nervous as I held the shen gong wu tracker in hand, locating the shroud of shadows like a GPS and getting closer by the second.

“Sir?” one of the drones asked.

“Yeah?” I asked back, my voice a little shaky.

“My scanners are picking up on voices below us, I believe the Xiaolin monks are nearby.” The drone…. droned.

“Great,” I grumbled sarcastically. “Let’s hurry up and find this thing, I don’t wanna get in any show downs today.” I grumbled, speeding up in the air and following the little blue dot in the middle of my holo-board.

            I landed mere seconds later, looking around for the shroud in the middle of the Brazilian jungle but it was hidden in a thick morning mist.

“Come on guys! It’s over here!” I heard an annoying little green dragon yell and I began to hurry in my search, I really didn’t want to deal with the stares or the questions I knew they’d ask.

“I cannot see!” I heard Omi whine before he gave a slight “oof!” noise, running into something or other before Kimiko began to whine.

“Dojo! Get off my head, your ruining my hair!”

“Guys!” Raimundo snapped, “Get it together, we have to find this wu.”

“I think Rai’s right y’all c’mon let’s get a move on.”

“Alright Clay.” Kimiko and Omi said.

            I was freaking out at this point, trying to be quiet as I followed my Wu tracker and trying desperately to find the object when I finally came on it, reaching out to grab it when another pair of hands touched it at the same time, and a pair I definitely did not expect to see.

“C-Chase?” I stuttered out.

“Jack.” He wasted no time. “I challenge you to a Xiaolin showdown.”

I stared in open shock for a moment, blinking slowly before hardening my facial features, I wasn’t his little fan boy anymore. “Fine. Name your game.”

He raised an eyebrow at my non loving attitude. “First one to find their way out of the fog wins, my crouching cougar against your monkey staff.”

“I accept your challenge Chase.” I smirked, not even caring that I would most likely lose.

            The landscape began to change around us, the trees began to thicken and grow taller while the fog rearranged itself, opening up around us and making twists and turns, obstacles began to appear, blocking paths and making it all into a humongous maze.

“Gong ye tempai!” we both shouted. Both of us instantly using our Wu.

            I brought out my staff while Chase got out his crouching cougar, activating it and getting on while I began to run and jump over rocks and obstacles, using the trees to my advantage as I climbed and hopped from one to the other, taking short cuts while Chase ran through the maze on top of his mechanical feline steed.

            It was only minutes of jumping and climbing, of watching Chase catch up to me that I was lost, I climbed up the tallest tree I could find until it shocked me with a strong volt of electricity, not letting me see over the tops of the fog walls and I cursed as I began to randomly find paths to the end, I could see the monks looking down on me from the branch of a large tree, and I made sure to not let them get a good look at my face.

            I panted as I ran, wishing I had a different Wu right now to help me win this fight as Chase was right behind me and gaining on my lucky head start.

I had an idea.

            I slowed down a bit, disappearing into a gap in the fog wall as Chase came closer, climbing up a tree and onto a branch hanging over the path and hung from my temporary monkey tail.

            Chase came right underneath me, knowing I was there but not expecting what I was about to do.

            I dropped down onto the crouching cougar, right behind chase and wrapped my hands around his eyes, grinning my stitched up grin as a wall was coming up only so far ahead of us. Chase growled as he ripping my hands off his face; before he could shove me off or cause me serious harm I pointed in front of him and then proceeded to reach up and grab a branch, being yanked off the back to watch Chase barely avoid the crash. Of course he wouldn’t crash, I knew that much, but it did piss him off enough to want to win more, exactly what I wanted.

            I followed behind the Heylin lord, watching where he went and knowing he could lead me out, using my head for once in a fight.

            I stayed close but not to close, Chase trying to throw me off many a time since he was smart enough to understand what I was doing. He gave up looking at me though as the end finally came up, the Wu glowing inside the hollow of a tree at least eighty feet up outside of the fog and I grinned ear to ear, I was in luck for once.

            I passed Chase, hopping onto the tree and beginning the climb while the almost green haired man pocketed the crouching cougar and began to climb after me, hopping from branch to branch in an expert way that made me nervous and start to climb faster.

            I was starting to think that I might be safely in the lead but Chase used a dirty trick before I could finish my thought. He pulled a vine nearby, making it hit my throat and I choked at the impact, losing my grip and crashing through branches.

            It was all slow motion for a minute as I fell, catching the sadistic smirk on Chase’s face, I felt my own contort in outraged anger and a need to prove myself. I reached out and grabbed the back of his leg as I fell and he looked down with a snarl. I snarled right back and grabbed at his shoulder, using my monkey staff abilities to jump up and shove my sneaker in his face.

            He grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me down but I used the move against him and wrapped my legs around his neck and twisted myself backwards so we both fell off the branches and I let go, grabbing onto the same vine that had hit me before and panted as I jumped up, Chase hitting a vital point on the back of my leg and I grit my teeth as pain surged through the leg.

“Give up Spicer, you’ll never win.” He taunted and despite the pain I kicked him in the face.

“Bite me Young.” I spat back. “I’m not going to lose to you this time.” I began to climb again, so close yet so far as we grappled again.

“And what made you so determined?” Chase asked half cocky half curious as he got a few feet above me and I flipped up to slam my elbow into his side and gain a few feet on him, after that point it was a battle of speed.

“Death.” I answered and he raised an eyebrow as I pulled some extra strength I didn’t know I had from somewhere inside me and began to climb faster than I ever had the entire race.

            I could have cried I was so happy at the moment I reached the hollow of the tree, but a clawed hand raked into my calf and I cried out, another grappling into my shoulder but I jabbed Chase off, trying to grab the Wu when I was gripped by the back of the skull and thrown down the tree, Chase grabbing the Wu before I could. He hesitated long enough to let me crash through almost all the branches, a large shard of wood stabbing into me before everything returned to normal, the showdown over.

            Chase stood over me, calmly breathing and I grabbed my ribs, hiding the overgrown wood chip as Chase held the crouching cougar, the monkey staff and the shroud of shadows in his arms.

I huffed out a breathless curse, blinking several times before letting my head thump onto the grassy jungle floor and looked at the sky through the trees

“That was impressive Spicer.” he smirked. “You were quite determined, train yourself a little more and you might win a showdown for once.” He grinned wider before turning around and teleporting to his house.

I wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a compliment but either way I closed my eyes hard for a moment, when I opened them the fog had cleared to reveal the rising sun as the Xiaolin monks began to walk towards me. Great. Sulking time over, now was time to go.

            I grunted in pain as I got up, the monks only so far away as I called for my drones and looked at the four teens, not enjoying the shocked looks on their faces at my haggard appearance.

“So long Xiaolin losers!” I taunted, trying to get things back to normal as I flew away.

 

            I could hear thunder as I drew closer to my home, dark storm clouds gathering fast and I hustled to get into the house, not wanting to get grounded by the rain or have to walk for a mile or two in it.

            I almost made it but was just late enough to get drenched on the way to the door, becoming sopping wet and creating small puddles on the floor.

“uuuugggh! If losing the showdown and getting impaled by something the size of my fist wasn’t bad enough…..” I said as the puddles became more and more red. “Drone, go get me the medic-bot, a bottle of Advil, and fill the bathtub in my bathroom full of _really_ hot water.” I ordered. The bot responded with a click and a whirl before leaving to go do as I had told it.

            I began to hobble to the bathroom, leaving a trail of pinkish, watered down blood behind me.

 

“Ow...Ow! Hey that’s still tender!” I griped at the medic bot who was used to this kind of treatment by now and simply ignored me, doing whatever it was he did to try and stop the bleeding in my side.

“Sir please be still, if you continue to move I will not be able to stop this bleeding and you will be dead within half an hour.”

Well that wasn’t what I expected to hear...

“D-d-d-dead? B-but I feel fine!” I protested but the drone gave me the facts.

“Sir you feel fine because you are in shock, you have lost a significant amount of blood and the effects should be kicking in soon.”

“Oh god…” I said as I stilled, trying to let the bot do his job but I continued to wince, finally noticing the small puddle of red pooling on the bathroom floor underneath me and I had a sudden flash back.

 

_I wailed loudly as I was tied down tighter to the chair, the cranking of the belt-tightener echoing through the room along with my gagged voice, the razors and nails glued to the chair sinking into my skin and letting blood flow into a puddle on the floor._

_“Oh Jackie…” a male voice sighed. “What do I keep telling you?” he bent over so he was eye level with me and continued. “If you keep being so loud every time I punish you I’ll have to find a better way to gag you. And I guarantee it won’t be fun.”_

_I sobbed softly into the cloth gag, trying to silence myself but unable as the pain brought tears to my eyes and made me gasp and groan._

_He began to pet my tangled, blood matted hair softly. “Jackie, if you calm down I’ll take off the gag…”_

_I looked up at him through my sleeplessly heavy lids, taking deep breaths through my nose as I blocked out the pain the best I could. It took a few minute, but eventually I calmed down enough so that I was only softly panting, little sobs the loudest sound coming out of me._

_“Very good Jackie.” The man smiled widely before slipping the piece of cloth from between my lips so it hung loosely around my neck._

_I began to babble as soon as his hands were out of my face, begging him to let me go, to stop torturing me and the others, to let that little kid go, followed by soft sobs and incoherent pleas, he had broken my mind days ago._

_“Jackie, shh shh shh.” He shushed quickly as he placed his finger on my lips to silence me. “I didn’t take off your gag to hear you beg me for things you know I won’t give you…..” I pulled my head away from him so that my chin was leaning on my shoulder, my body wracked with small shudders, which only added to the pain of the chair. “Now I’m still waiting for you to answer the question I asked you, do you remember the one I asked you when you first got here?”_

_I wracked my brain, trying to find an answer but to no avail. This angered the man in front of me very much and he brought back his hand, slamming it across my face so hard that my entire body jerked in one direction, shredding my back on the razors and splitting my lip on my own teeth._

_“You ungrateful little shit!” the man roared in my face, he went from overjoyed into a boiling rage in an instant._

_I spat blood onto the floor, happy there was no tooth following it when I felt giant hands clap onto the open wounds on my shoulders, the man leaning on me so the razors and nails went deeper into my flesh. I moaned in pain._

_he took several deep breaths as he calmed down, putting more pressure on me as he did so before opening his eyes, a malicious grin on his face. “Oh Jackie,” he chuckled. “What I asked you, you silly goose,” he shoved down harder, emphasizing the last word. “Was ‘why do you think you are here?’”_

_“I-I don’t know!” I cried, my broken mind not wanting to think as the stress had worn on it over the past few weeks making it hard and an unpleasant thing. He pushed down harder._

_“Not good enough Jackie….. let’s try again, one more chance and if you don’t get it right I’m going to put the gag back on and continue to punish you.” he warned, stroking my bloody cheek with the back of his hand. “Now why do you think you’re here?”_

_I paused, thinking it over and apparently that wasn’t what he wanted as his face darkened. I hurried and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You want money from my parents and I’m a hostage to give you leverage?”_

_He looked disappointed. “Wrong answer Jackie, we both know your parents don’t care about you. That they don’t care if you live or die so they certainly wouldn’t give up thousands of dollars to save you…”_

_I grew wide eyed and he put the gag back in my mouth again, walking over to a wall of torture devices before coming back with a simple knife and a hot brand as usual. He leveled the knife at my throat and gave me an almost pitying look before making a cut deep enough to hurt like hell and bleed everywhere but not to kill me._

_He smirked, pointing to the river of blood flowing from me, pooling on the floor under my bound feet before gripping me by my neon red hair, yanking my head back and mercilessly burnt the cut to cauterize it._

 

            I shuddered at the memory, still finding to this day that the man was right, my parents didn’t care, and in future lessons he taught me no one else cared either. It hurt but it was good to be out of the dark on all of it to.

            I sighed as the medic-bot finished, cleaning me up, making me take a dip in the boiling hot water to sterilize the wound before I dried myself off and let the robot bandage me.

“Thanks.” I said to the machine, patting it admiringly on the head before standing up, gripping the counter as a wave of dizziness came over me. I saw in the mirror that I was an almost bluish gray color, dark circles under my eyes from the blood loss and I sighed as I made my way to the kitchen, craving sweets after my massive blood loss as well as, strangely enough, spinach and ice.

            I hobbled through the house for a second time today, this time not leaving a trail of blood (which I’d clean up later) behind me. as I entered my massive kitchen, granite countertops and vanilla and caramel swirled marble tiles welcomed me on the way in, I went straight for the freezer, taking out some spanakopita triangles, rich with the spinach I craved as well as cheese and popping them on a pan before turning on the oven and sliding them on the oven rack.

            I next went to the candy drawer and took out a handful of sweets, and then a cup which I filled with ice and water since I knew I needed to drink plenty of fluids.

            It was fifteen minutes later, when I was finally settling down on the couch, about to watch some TV and eat my food that a deep rich voice interrupted me.

“Spicer.”

            I squealed as Chase Young took my food out of my hand and I looked up to see him take a bite.

“C-Chase?” I asked incredulously. “What the hell are you doing in my house and how’d you get in here?!” I asked angrily, unable to do anything in my weak state but yell at him.

“Calm down Spicer.” Chase smirked and I looked at my food in his hand and snatched it away indignantly.

“I will not calm down unless I want to! Now why are you here?” I asked as I finished off what Chase had held, not caring that his saliva had been on it while used to I would have creepily stolen it to do so.

He smirked again. “Well I just want to know who’s really inhabiting your body right now. Because the real Jack would be overly ecstatic, actually, honored, to have me in his home.”

“Yeah? Well that was the old Jack, so get used to it.” I snapped at the warlord and he chuckled darkly, making my hackles rise at the sound.

“My, my, aren’t we brave today?” he said as he ran a hand over the top of the couch, just grazing my overly long hair and tickling my scalp.

“Would you please do me a favor and not be so creepy?” I asked, shooing his hand away. “Now why are you here? And don’t sidestep the question this time.” I said and he smirked again.

“Well… I noticed many interesting new things about you during our little showdown today… and some questions arose, so I decided to quell my curiosity by getting answers straight from the horse’s mouth. So to speak.” He said, twirling his finger at the end and I pressed my tongue to my cheek in irritation.

“And _what_ , Chase, did you find so _new_ and _interesting_ earlier today?” I spoke slowly in pissed-offy-ness.

He ignored my attitude this time and drug his finger down my eyeliner free scar and I froze, in too much shock to move until his thumb grazed my stitched up lips.

I slapped his hand away none to gently, a look of calm on Chase’s features as he broke my reaction down, probably giving some kind of meaning to it. but that didn’t concern me; the movement had jostled my newest wound and I winced as I held my side, glaring at him through my overly long bangs, I hadn’t gotten a haircut since the incident.

He gave me a thoughtful look again, as if he were writing a mental note to himself or assessing me before really looking at me, only to find the blood stained bandages on my side.

“Did I do that at the showdown?” he asked and I sighed, letting go of my irritation slightly and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal though.”

“Really now?” Chase inquired. “Then was that trail of blood I found in the hall someone else’s?”

“It’s not as bad as it looks.” I hissed.

“you _are_ very defensive aren’t you?” he leaned on the couch, one arm folded neatly on the back while the other propped up his chin as he leaned forward, only a few inches from my face.

“Yes! I am defensive! And cranky, and pissy, and tired, and hungry, _and_! I want to be left the hell alone!” I waved my arms, the wound being jostled again and I sucked in a breath before calming down.

“Why _are_ you so defensive though?” Chase inquired almost to himself, ignoring my other statements. “Would it have something to do with that death statement from earlier?”

            Great, me and my big friggin mouth.

“Hit another soft spot did I?” Chase inquired and after a very long moment of staring at him in disbelief, I gave up, letting my head fall on the back of the couch only to roll my head to look at him, cheek pressed to the couch and liking that I didn’t have to support my own head.

“I want you out of my house, the faster the better. So I’ll give you three free-bee questions to ask me, and I’ll answer truthfully but you only have _three_.” I put up three fingers for emphasis. “Now what do you want to know?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “How did you get the scars on your lips and cheek?”

I sighed. “The one on my cheek was a knife, and my lips were sewn shut and the thread tore through my skin.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “And your second question?”

He seemed unfazed, taking another moment to think of a new question. “What did you mean that death changed you?”

“It means I almost died dumbass.” I pointed out and his eyebrows furrowed.

“You know what I meant.”

“Too bad, you got your answer, now on to the third question.” I said smugly and he frowned but asked the other question anyway.

“Where have you been for the past year?”

I paused, thinking about how I could worm my way out of this one but Chase had me pinned with his stare. “Locked up in a psychopath’s basement for half, healing and hiding for the other.”

            He simply nodded at this before walking around the couch and nabbing another spanakopita triangle. “Thank you Spicer. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

            He began to walk away but I grabbed part of the cloth tunic hanging out of his brass colored armor. “You won’t tell anyone… right?”

            He didn’t verbally answer, just looked at me with gorgeous golden eyes and I could see that he wouldn’t tell a soul.

“Thanks….” I said and he nodded, shrugging off the intense mood and taking a bite of spanakopita as he walked off, disappearing mid stride with a crackle of Heylin magic.


	2. A quick thought from Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a quick thought or two from Chase young.

_That was strange._ I thought as I reappeared in my citadel, my feline warriors sitting here and there, guarding my home.

            I pat one fondly over the head as I thought. I had never seen Spicer act that way before, he was very….. Walled in. he wasn’t fawning over me or squealing like a girl (accept for when I scared him) like usual. He was more…. I don’t know….. Harder?

            I didn’t know exactly how to describe it but he was changed. I thought about what he said. Had he really been locked away in a psychopath’s basement?

It would explain the scars and behavior changes at least…. I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to him over those months that could change him so drastically. I had only seen the scars on his face…. witch could have been self-inflicted and he could have just been lying to me. But it seemed much too farfetched that he was faking….  

I shrugged off my thoughts as I walked through my home, it was time to start my meditation anyway.


	3. a good story

I rested my head on the wall, taking deep breaths as I tried to stop the small room from spinning while at the same time tried to not empty the rest of my stomach contents. Cause man let me tell ya, that spanakopita does _not_ taste good coming back up.

            I sighed. _My life sucks._

The effects of shock had worn off a while ago and man was I feeling it. The pain was pretty bad but I’d had worse, it was the queasy, dizzy, shaky…. _weak_ feeling that I didn’t like. But what was worse was that I felt really cold, like the shivering, blue lipped kind of cold that you have to take a dip in boiling hot water to raise your body temperature by even a single degree. I had felt just like this in the cellar which made it even more unpleasant.

            As the dizziness faded as wells as some of the nausea, I decided to get up and go to the skink so I could rinse this awful taste out of my mouth. God I might never eat again after that.

I sighed when I was finished, looking up at my reflection in the mirror as I turned off the water in the sink. I looked like the undead.

With my red hair limp from stress and… illness, skin pale and teeth chattering behind pale blue lips, I looked like a mess. God I could barely meet my own eyes in the mirror; but I eventually did. They were bright crimson as always, dark circles making them more pronounced as well as the wetness that had gathered from my earlier…stomach, emptying… episode.

            I traced my finger down an overly long, neon red strand of hair that had fallen out of place and froze.

_“You have the prettiest eyes and hair Jackie.” My captor complimented, gently cupping my cheek and I leaned in, willing to accept any kind of positive attention not to mention I had formed a sick kind of bond with my tormentor._

_He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. “Common, it’s that time of day again.” he then roughly pulled me up by my dislocated arm. I wanted to cry out but stayed hushed, comfortable in the emotional numbness that let me do so._

_He patted me kindly on the head for my silence before setting me down in the non-blade covered chair, placing my bloody, tied wrists, behind my back and securing them so I’d be unable to move or fall over._

_“Now be quiet while I do this and it’ll be over soon.” He soothed, running the back of his hand down my face before picking up the baseball bat and turning to me, giving me a regretful glance. “You really do have the most gorgeous hair and eyes Jackie.” Then he swung._

            I grimaced at the mirror, my fists clenching the counter so hard that the joints ached and whined in protest. I continued to stare for a moment when I felt something in me abruptly snap.

An uncontrollable self-loathing suddenly filled me, so strong that I slowly brought back my fist, aiming it right towards my dual self’s face.

A malicious grin, and I slammed my knuckles so hard that the glass shattered and fell into a million pieces around me, cutting my face and crunching under my feet like snow. More red smeared on the tiles and the image of when I had almost bled to death on my captors snow covered lawn came in and out of my mind.

I finally looked at my hand to see glittering shards imbedded in my flesh; the mix of shining red with the diamond like debris glinting in it was almost beautiful. I brought it up to the light to see better but was snapped out of my morbid trance when four drones burst through the door.

They scanned the room to see what was happening but when they found no one, settled down and asked me if I was alright. I told them yes and they got the medic bot again who tended to my new wounds.

“Stay off your feet and rest.” Was all it said before whirring out of the room, my other machines leaving me all alone as well. I swear that even they hated me sometimes.

            It was funny really, I didn’t even feel the glass still inside my feet, seeing as the bot had missed it, the numbness now taking over the override of earlier emotions and I was grateful as I thudded down on my bed. Rolling underneath the covers and snuggling into the nest of pillows I had collected over the years. I’d take care of the glass tomorrow when I could feel it.

 

 

“Spicer……Spicer!” I jolted upright in bed, making a childlike whining noise as I put my hand over the face of whoever had shaken me awake.

“whaaaaaaaaaat?” I whined, Chase pulling my hand from his face and making me wince before yanking it back.

“Spicer what the hell happened to your hand?” Chase asked and I ignored him, rubbing my eyes with my good hand and yawning.

“What do you waaaant?” I whined out again, throwing my feet over the bed only to wince as the glass sunk deeper into my skin.

“I need to borrow a Shen Gong Wu…..” he trailed as he looked me over.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well to bad, go find your own.”

“Spicer what did you do to yourself?” he asked, ignoring my rude behavior as he saw the random cuts and bandages.

“The mirror broke.” I stated plainly, grimacing as I slowly got on my feet, the glass crunching loudly against the floor.

“You didn’t take the glass out?” Chase asked me like I was an idiot and I shot him a dirty look as I slowly made my way to the bathroom, it didn’t hurt too bad, but it wasn’t pleasant either.

            Chase followed me in as I got the tweezers, me sitting on the counter and unwrapping my feet as I began to pluck out the glass, letting it land where it may for the sweeper bot to pick up later with the rest of the glass on the floor. I felt Chase staring at me and finally gave up trying to ignore him.

“I told you to go get your own damn Shen Wong Wu.” I snapped at him angrily.

I was truly surprised when he didn’t respond with any comment of how lowly I was, just calmly looked over the state of the bathroom, shattered mirror, my bandages and cuts, the blood on the floor and sink as well as my generally weakened, irritated mood and the fact that I was gritting my teeth to keep them from chattering with cold.

“Spicer.” Chase declared softly to get my attention; slowly approaching me with his hands up like I was some scared animal before asking me a final time. “ _What_ did you do to yourself?”

            I just looked at him for a moment, the last of my numbness fading out before the tweezers slipped through my fingers and I looked at the ground after them, letting my teeth chatter as I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to try and get some friction.

“I-I still have some issues….” I said softly. “It’s no big deal, it’s just some glass, I’ll get it out and it’ll heal like everything else….”

            Chase sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. For some reason it made me feel as though I had done something wrong, but then again, I usually did. “You’re not doing it right and at the rate you’re going you’ll never get the glass out anyways.”

I looked up and saw a flicker of emotion cross his honey gold eyes. It disappeared faster than it came so I chalked it up to my crazy ass mind. “There’s a right way to take out glass?”

“Yes Spicer, there _is_ a right way and you may also need _stitches_.” He said as he walked over, I shrunk a little in reflex but he didn’t pay any mind as he took the bandage I had discarded on the floor and threw it away, picking up the tweezers and throwing them in the sink before turning to me. “You’re obviously not competent enough to take care of yourself,” I internally winced as my chest grew tender inside from the comment. “So you’re coming with me.”

“w-what?” I asked softly, my voice not sounding quite my own and Chase sighed yet again.

            Before I knew it I was up in his arms, one hand under my knees while the other was holding me under my shoulders. I winced loudly, flinching at the sudden contact and Chase huffed. “Stop being such a child Spicer, I’m only trying to help.”

“-b-b-but-”

“No buts, you’re staying with me till I know you won’t try and kill yourself.” He said as he began to walk me to my room, depositing me on my bed as he grabbed a bag out of my closet, stuffing it with clothes, hair brush, tooth brush, socks and other things like that, I was wearing a long sleeve, turtleneck like shirt with pajama pants but I still wanted my jacket since Chase was bringing all things short sleeved.

“Did I miss anything?” Chase mocked, zipping up my bag.

I gave him a semi apathetic glare before defiantly standing on my feet and packing my jacket and several hoodies in the large duffle, staring him in the face the entire time.

As he stared back at me I snapped my fingers, four drones appearing at my call.

“JB 5, 23, and 32, begin the trip to Chase’s house please, and bring the black hole bag full of my smaller projects and tools… also my latest one if you don’t mind.” I said and they bowed before entering the lab to do my bidding.

“Is that it Spicer?” Chase growled and I grabbed a few pillows and stuffed them in the bag as well before draping my favorite, feather stuffed blanket over the bag between the handle straps, if I was leaving I might as well get comfortable.

“Now I’m ready.” I said and Chase closed his eyes, probably counting to ten before taking a deep breath and exhaling, opening his eyes only to grab me roughly by the arm. A flash of terror ran through me as it reminded me of the man from the cellar but I reminded myself that I was out of there and safe as it quickly passed.

            Chase had no idea it happened and simply snapped his fingers, both of us being sucked into a place between places and then spat back out in Chase’s fortress, I landed on my hands and knees, the breath knocked out of me from the trip and I coughed loudly, sucking air into my needy lungs while Chase simply walked by, dismissing his cat warriors from attacking me.

“W-where are you going?” I gasped as he began to leave the room.

“Medical kit. You still have glass imbedded in your skin remember?”

“Oh yeah…” I had forgotten the pain, it was just a nibbling annoyance compared to the other things I’d felt.

“Yes. So stay there and don’t touch anything till I get back.”

            Before I could respond he walked off, leaving me to sit on the ground in a small room with growling jungle cats who wanted to eat me.

            I shrunk a little, seeing that this was actually a small infirmary room and decided I might as well get on the small cot that was set up, save Chase the trouble of yelling at me for sitting there like an idiot.

            As soon as I was on the white sheets I fell backwards, letting my head hang over the side and my feet dangle off the other end.

I was greeted by the sight of an upside down family of cheetahs, the mother watching me in the corner as her four little cubs played at her feet. One of them saw me and my neon red head must have caught its attention seeing as it came over and began to bat at my hair, trying to bite it and I laughed at the small kitten, reaching down to scratch its head, making it purr before it reached its head up and nibbled on my finger.

            It let go of my finger to lick it kindly, rubbing its cheek against my palm so I continued to pet its soft little head, loving how cute he was with his surprisingly green eyes. I looked to his brothers and sisters who all had dark, brown black like orbs.

            I sighed as I picked the kitten by the scruff of the neck, the fluff ball mewing as I set him back down on my chest, clumsily crawling towards my face, only to lick my collar bone affectionately before curling up to get the center of my attentions.

“Alright Spicer.” Chase said as he stepped in the room, pulling up a stool before yanking my foot onto his lap, startling me out of the content trance I’d been in as he started to pick out glass.

            It stung a little to pull out the glass but like I’ve said before, I’d had worse. I just blocked out the pain as I continued to pet my new friend, the cubs coming closer to their brother as well as the mother who sniffed me curiously before settling down underneath my head.

            I winced loudly as an extra-long shard was pulled from my heel, the freckled cat on my chest jolting from his place to lick my cheek reassuringly. I patted his head as I sat up, seeing as my own head was feeling heavy, so he clumsily made his way down to my lap, mewing at Chase who noticed the cute fuzz ball with a kind gaze.

“Soooo… does this guy have a name?” I asked, giving a small tug to the kitten’s tale, making him turn around to play with my hand.

“No actually, he’s part of a new litter.” He said as he concentrated back on my foot, pulling out glass again.

“Hmm…. Can I name him?” I asked and Chase didn’t look up as he answered.

“I don’t give my cats names, but you may come up with one if you wish.”

I smiled widely. “Then I think I’ll name youuuuuu...” I looked down at the big green eyes and the dusting of freckle that walked across his cheeks and nose. “Toby.”

Chase snorted.

“What?” I asked him and he shook his head, smiling smugly.

“Oh nothing. It’s just that this animal will grow up to be a graceful, African speed demon built to take down full grown gazelle on its own, and you’re naming him _Toby_.”

“And what’s wrong with the name Toby?” I asked indignantly, turning to the Topic of the discussion who resided in my lap. “You like it don’t you?”

He mewed at me again, licking my nose and purring fondly as he rubbed his head against my protruding ribs. “See? He likes it.”

“He doesn’t understand what you’re saying.” Chase defended coolly, giving me the raised eyebrow look as he switched feet.

“Whatever. I’m naming him Toby.” I shrugged it off and laid back down, this time with my head resting on the bed.

There was a moment of silence before Chase spoke up once again, this time less playful. “Is there any particular reason that you’re naming him Toby?”

            I looked at Chase’s curious gaze and countered his question with my own. “When did you become so curious about my life?”

“I have always been a curious soul Spicer; I like to find answers to topics that interest me. Right now, you interest me, therefore I’m asking what I wish to know.” he paused. “Now will you answer my question now that I’ve answered yours?”

I paused. “Well…” I didn’t want to answer. “He- he was this little kid… we spent a long time together… in the cellar…”

“I see.” He said as he finished picking the glass out of my feet and then proceeded to my knuckles before cleaning and bandaging the limbs in silence.

“Alright. Try and stay off your feet for a few days. I know it’s inevitable but keep it to a minimum.”

“Yes doctor Chase.” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “So since I can’t walk are you gunna carry me to the couch?”

He surprised me by actually scooping me up. “Might as well. Don’t want you being self-destructive again.”

“I am not self-destructive.” I defended.

“Says the boy who shattered his mirror with his fist.”

“Yeah but that wasn’t self-destructive.” I pouted.

“Than by all means what was it?” Chase asked and I shut up, realizing I was just digging myself into a hole.

            I knew he was about to make a smart ass comment but thank god my drones had arrived, carrying the black hole bag and I smirked.

“Took you guys long enough.” I said and one bowed.

“I’m sorry sir, but loading your projects was a bigger task than we first thought.” It crackled out like a static radio and I waved a hand dismissively.

“Just follow us and drop the black hole bag whenever we stop to settle down.”

“Of course sir.” It bowed again and Chase rolled his eyes before making sure Toby was secure in my arms and began to walk, carrying me half way across the citadel and into a library with a large fluffy couch and a _very_ large flat screen TV.

“Wow. I didn’t think the elderly watched television.” I said and Chase dropped me on the couch roughly, Toby hissing at the abrupt action and I laughed. “Wow. I didn’t think I could wound your vanity either, score one for me.”

He sighed. “You are ridiculous Spicer. I am immortal and cannot age and therefore do not worry about my appearance or have any vanity issues.”

“And being defensive about it just proves I’m right.” I smirked at him before he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m going to go now before my inner dragon come out and decides to eat you.” he turned on his heels and began to head out the door. “Stay off your feet in the meantime.”

“Ok, have fun!” I yelled out after him and he huffed before leaving my range of sight.

 

            A few days later, while I was working on my car and thoroughly covered in grease and tangled in wires, the Shen gong Wu detector went off, beeping loudly on my wrist and I groaned.

“Really? Right now?” I said to the watch on my arm before rolling out from under my car only to be face to face with an upside down image of Chase.

“Spicer.” He greeted kindly.

“Hey Chase.” I said as I got up, taking the wires off of me and grabbing the towel I had thrown haphazardly on the ground so I could wipe the oil off of my face and hands. “There’s a new Shen gong Wu, you coming?”

“No, this particular Wu is of no use to me.” he said, yawning slightly, still in his PJ’s seeing as it was only ten O’clock. “I will never understand why you are so determined to get all of the Wu.”

“Uh, to rule the world. _Duh_.” I rolled my eyes. “Have you not been paying attention at all?”

“Yes Spicer I actually have. So allow me to elaborate for your small, teenage mind. Why not use some other means?” he asked as I put on my goggled for flying and tied my sneakers.

            I paused at his question, thinking for a moment before looking back up at him. “You know, I ask myself that sometimes, I think I’m still trying to figure it out.” I stood up, pulling on my heli-pack before smiling at him. “So I’ll get back to you on that when I find out the answer.”

            He nodded at me before sighing. “I guess I’ll be staying here, I have several things to tend to as well as my meditation.”

I rolled my eyes. “Your choice not mine. I’m gunna head out now though, you know, since I can’t teleport or anything.” I said before stepping around the overlord and onto the edge of the terrace I had been working on. “Either way, I’ll catch ya later.”

            He nodded as a farewell and I pulled my goggles over my eyes before jumping off the smooth concrete and starting up my pack.

 

            I wasn’t sure what the Wu was but I followed my little board just like before, landing in the middle of a wheat field behind a farm house. I heard a horse whinny behind me and a little foal stumbling around, cows off in the distance and I took in the earthy, fresh scent of the wheat and smiled as I began to look for the Wu.

“God, this is like looking for a needle in a hay stack.” I said as I shifted through the wheat stalks, noticing Dojo land and the four monks spreading out to find the Wu themselves.

“Damn.” I whispered before doubling my efforts, going through the entire wheat field before heading over to the hay bales and finding the Wu stuffed in one of the wires tying off the squares.

            I smiled and began to run, seeing that it was grey and had a large blue glowing crystal jutting out so it looked almost like a dagger or a spear head. I was almost there when Raimundo bust out of the field and it turned into a race for the object tied to the hay bales.

            As always we both got it at the same time and I bust out before Rai could speak.

“I challenge you to a Xiaolin show down.”

He blinked, staring at my marred face for a moment before speaking. “Y-yeah, what’s the challenge?”

I thought for a moment before grinning at my own earlier words. “A game of find the needle in the hay stack, your third arm sash against my falcon’s eye.”

“Sure, I accept your challenge Jack.” Raimundo continued to stare, although he was more determined then shocked. I wasn’t all that upset about the staring anymore since I had been living with Chase, used to people seeing my face but I would certainly appreciate it if he at least had the decency to not be so obvious.

“Good, now; Xiaolin showdown!”

The landscape began to change like every other time in a showdown, the hay bale growing out of its bonds and into a giant room of hay, my eyes being poked by the hard blades of grass and I pulled down my goggles to protect them while Rai had to shield himself with his arms.

“Ready looser?” Rai growled cockily.

“Hell yeah Pedrosa, bring it on.”

He smirked, “gong ye tempi!” we both shouted before the game was on.

 

            Oh yeah, I rocked!

            I had gotten the Wu, the third arm sash, kept my falcon’s eye and had gotten this spear head/ dagger thing! Oh yeah, I was soooo awesome.

            The Xiaolin warriors sulked off on their lizard while I stuffed the wu in a bag and headed back to Chase’s citadel. I hummed happily to myself all the while even when I landed on the terrace, Chase stepping around my car, looking at my work and I caught his attention when I held up the bag, smiling ear to ear.

“Looky what I gooottt.” I sung before taking out the spear head and holding it up to the light.

“Do you even know what that is?”

“Nyooope. Can you tell me?”

Chase sighed, walking up and taking the thing from my hands and holding it in front of my face as though that would help prove his point.

“This, is a part of the ancestor spear.” He said, waiting for me to have some kind of recall over it but I had no such moment and simply stared at him expectantly. He made a noise of irritation before continuing. “This peace is called the crystal spear head. It takes your energy and talents and enhances them to a super human form. The other half of the ancestor spear is called the Root Shoot and is the staff of the spear, it’s useless by itself but when joined with the crystal spear head it can take the most powerful trait that can be found in your family lineage, bring it to the surface and increase it to give you supernatural abilities.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait just a second here. So this thing can trace all the way back to the first Spicer ever, take the best trait out of anyone that’s ever been in my family tree and make it like, ten times stronger so I can use it?” I asked as I took the elegantly carved Wu back and Chase nodded.

“Yes. But only if joined with its counterpart.”

“Damn.” I said, slumping a little. “And it could take forever for that Wu to turn up.”

“Very true Spicer, but fate has its way of dealing with things. It will show up when it is time.” Chase said as he came back to my car and began to examine it once again, taking off his glove (he’d gotten dressed while I was gone) before gently running his fingers over the electric purple paint I had sprayed on the car a few days ago.

            I grudgingly let the topic go, rolling my neck and hearing it pop before heading over to my project, opening the door and sitting in the driver’s seat while Chase continued to observe the glittering metal.

“You like it?” I asked him, seeing him pause to look at me and nod.

“Yes, I have always had a small interest in cars.”

“Really?” I asked. “You don’t seem the type to be interested in cars.”

He smirked as he stepped in front of me, hands clasped behind his back. “Well things aren’t always as they seem.”

I smirked back up at him. “And that brings me to a question I’ve been pondering for a while now. You never do something without planning to get something in return. So why did you take me in?”

            He seemed surprised that I asked this but also pleased. “Very sharp Spicer.” He leaned down till he was eye level with me, only an inch or two between our noses before explaining. “If you must know, since your first appearance to a showdown in a year, and your change in overall personality, I’ve become interested in what’s happened to you. It gets very boring being immortal and stories are very interesting no matter what age you are. So I want to hear yours.”

I looked up at him with a snide grin. “And to think the only thing I had to do to get my former idols attention was almost die and punch a mirror.”

“Very funny Jack.” He said, seeming to surprise even himself as he used my first name, standing up again as he felt a small figure pounce on his boots.

            Toby was now chewing on the warlords boot, apparently not liking the taste as he moved on to me, hopping up into my lap to chew on my long sleeve.

“I’ve also noticed how you cover yourself head to toe in clothing so I can only see your face and hands.” Chase also commented as I held Toby close to my still scrawny chest.

“w-well wouldn’t you?” I asked shyly, not really liking the topic of my scars.

“Maybe, depending on what had happened for me to receive them.”

I bit my lips nervously before asking the semi-retired warrior. “Is that why you wear your armor all the time?”

            He looked curious that I would ask that, tilting his head to the side as he assessed me once more. “I wear my armor as a reminder of what I am.”

“That’s a load of crap.” I said calmly, not insulting him, just pointing it out that I knew.

“Than what’s the truth?” he seemed interested to hear.

“I don’t know. Only you can figure that out. I can only tell it’s a lie. Nothing more.”

            There was a long moment of silence, the both of us just staring at each other for a while, and I thought I might be a dead man when Chase finally leant down and whispered in my ear. “No one has ever seen, let alone dared to tell me my own lies.” He didn’t deny it, he didn’t sound threatening, he was just stating a simple fact that he was not afraid to admit. “Now how did you see it?”

I stared ahead, right past him as I said into his own ear. “You don’t need a reminder that you’re a warrior, if I’m anywhere near right, the scars and terrors of battles you once felt never let you forget. Therefore that was a load of crap and you have another reason.”

            He smiled as he backed up, not an angry smile or a sad one, more like he was comfortable or even glad that someone finally knew, whatever it was I knew I had no clue why it mattered.

“You’re very perceptive Spicer, that’s a rare quality.” He reached out and ruffled my hair fondly, making me flinch at the sudden contact.

“Just to let you know, I’m not used to good touches, so if I flinch it’s not your fault.” I said and he kept his hand on my head.

“I know Spicer.” Was all he said almost as though he understood me before one of his fallen warriors came up and nudged his hand, growling something or other that only he could understand. “Well Spicer it seems lunch is ready, you need to eat since you’re very obviously underweight, so this afternoon you will be dining with me.”

“Really?” I asked as he helped me up, Toby still in the crook of my arm as he began to walk towards what I assumed to be the dining room.

“Yes. I have come to enjoy your company in the past few days, and you make for intelligent conversation.” He smiled at me coyly over his shoulder. “And like I said, I enjoy a good story. And I’m sure you can give me one.”

*Chase POV*

 

            Spicer really had gotten interesting since his disappearance, his face now marred and his attitude much more determined as well as braver. I _had_ to know what made this happen.

            And by Gods, it got so… _boring_ around the citadel, between my monotonous schedule and the lack of people around to talk to, I had started to attend showdowns just for the entertainment it brought me… and that’s before I actually _joined_ _in_.

In the meantime, I really had noted Spicer’s disappearance, everyone had. But now that the albino youth was back I was intrigued and well… I guess it was anything to cure the boredom. And after he showed up for the first showdown in a year I had gone to his house to quell my curiosity; but in the end, left with more questions than I had come in with.

The way he no longer worshiped me was a shocker… and the way he reacted when I had touched the stitch marks on his lips… it was very interesting to say the least.

He had acted as though he were angry but his face showed pure misery and something close to terror. I wondered who had planted such emotions in him, the _how_ aspect of that was obviously physical, and after the mirror incident, I assumed even more mental torture than anything.

“Sooo….” Said boy trailed as we sat at the table, dinner finished and both of us wondering what we should talk about now.

“So how’s your life been since your return from...Wherever you’ve been for the last year?” I asked as I dutifully sipped at a glass of water.

“Fine I guess…” he trailed. “Most of it was spent sedated in a hospital but from what I can recall it wasn’t too bad.” He cracked a smile. “And I’m guessing something pretty significant happened for you to be showing up to hunt for Wu?”

“Ah yes.” I sighed. “That was a result from boredom. You run out of things to do after so many hundreds of years so I thought I might as well entertain myself.”

“I gotcha.” He nodded as he picked off a few remaining bites of food from his plate. “So now that I’m your personal clown you don’t need to go do that anymore?”

I smirked good-naturedly. “I think I’d like to watch and see how you do now that you’ve decided to use your head for once.” I paused. “But otherwise no, I do not enjoy the company of the monk’s juvenile titters or Wuya’s constant attempts at seducing me.”

“She’s still at it?” he asked in disbelief, a look on his face as though he was wondering why she was repeatedly banging her head into a wall.

I chuckled softly at his expression. “Unfortunately yes.”

“…well damn. You’d think she would have given it up by now.” He took a sip of his drink as he contemplated his next topic but I beat him before he could change it.

“ _You_ never gave up.”

            At my comment he suddenly choked, sucking fluid into his lungs and coughing a moment before turning to me, still trying to hack water out of his wind pipe. “E-Excuse me?”

I sighed as though it were obvious. “You wanted me to be your mentor, take you in as my apprentice. And I’d be damned if I could ever get you to leave me alone. So I thought you would understand Wuya’s determination in a sense.”

“Well I never wanted in your pants.” He stated almost indignantly. “I just wanted to learn how to be better…” he trailed, not finishing the sentence and I folded my hands under my chin as I stared at him.

“Better at what Spicer?”

He looked up from his focused gaze on the floor, shaking the forlorn look off of his face and smiled before saying softly, “it doesn’t matter anymore.”

I opened my mouth to protest when he cut me off.

“But anyway, I’m still covered in grease from the car, I think I’d like to go take a quick shower before I go to bed.” he stood up and smiled a kind but fake smile. “So I’ll see you later.”

“Alright.” I said calmly, seeing as I had unintentionally pushed him outside of his comfort zone. “I’d very much like it if you’d join me in the library when you’re done, you do make for interesting conversation which is hard to come by.”

            This seemed to lighten his mood a bit and he smiled a bit more genuine of a smile. “Alright, but I get to choose topics.” It was a gentle request for me to keep to my own business and I agreed.

“See you soon then.”

           

 

            When he came back I could see his eyes were slightly puffy, it was odd to actually see him try to hide his tears when I was so used to him shamelessly sniveling in public. But then again he really had changed, as curious as I was to hear what his experience had been like to do this I respected his boundaries and didn’t ask him again.

“You look relaxed.” Jack said, small wet spots on his shoulder from where his damp hair brushed his pajama shirt.

“Well I do like this spot, glass of wine in hand and sitting in front of a fire is always calming.” I responded, surprised when instead of sitting down in the chair beside me he took the cushion off it and laid close to the fire, stretching out and closing his eyes, a small bandage on his face to cover the mocking scar.

“I see your point, it’s definitely nice where I’m sitting.” He seemed tired and I smiled.

“So what do you plan on doing with your newly won Shen Gong Wu Spicer?”

“oh not sure yet, I’m still trying to see where the plan for world domination is going, I’ll move onto how the Shen gong Wu fit into that later.” he yawned again. “To be honest I’m also just trying to get my life back to normal before I even try to do that much.”

“Well emotional stability before enslavement of the human race as I always say.” I tipped back my glass as I made a face of amusement and he cracked open one of his eyes as he smirked back at me.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Just imagine me without my meditation I’d be even worse.” I laughed at him.

“Pffft thank you for sparing me from a super sassy Chase young, it’s hard enough to take the minimal levels now.”

“Did you just call me sassy?” he laughed like it was totally absurd.

“Yes I did, I don’t think you realize that you can be a total diva sometimes, with that long black main of yours, I was pondering if you curl it in the mornings, or sleep with those little rollers in your hair.” He made a face as he twirled a red lock around his finger to mock me, a somewhat cute gesture and I chuckled again.

“I do no such thing, you on the other hand, look much better without all the obscene amounts of gel or hairspray that you like to use. I swear I could spear a fish on those spikes some days.” I mocked him back and he ran his fingers through his damp hair shaking his head.

“We’ve resorted to insulting each other’s hair, man that is a new low for us.” He laid on his back, seeming to be getting a little hot next to the fire by having his back to it.

“While I agree, and recognize my next question is insanely girlish, I’ve always pondered if your hair is actually red, or if you dye it.”

“oh it’s this color, if I was a true albino my eyes would be blue and my hair white, but then again I’m kind of a medical enigma as my doctors say, I have no pigment or potential for pigment in my skin yet my eyes and hair have that of red, which is unnatural to say the least, but I’m a test tube baby anyway, although I have no idea why my mother wanted a child so badly that she had invitro-fertilization done when she never sees me and had a nanny raise me. I’m rambling, anyway they think something went wrong when they were cooking me up in the Petri dish.”

I looked at him a long moment and he opened his eyes when he realized I was quiet.

“Sorry, too much information?”

“No I’m just wondering how that could have happened is all.”

“I’m not sure, although I used to wonder if my mom decided to try and dick with my DNA to try and make me blonde, she’s pretty shallow and kind of stupid like that.” He shrugged at the thought as though there was nothing wrong with him having stupid and absent parents. “Anyway though that’s pretty much impossible seeing as she is, in fact, stupid.”

“Where are your parents by the way?”  

“I don’t know, vacation somewhere.” He said, the topic seeming to bother him as he sighed and faced the fireplace.

“Do they do that often?”

“They didn’t know I was gone… they only knew when the hospital called them and explained.” He said quietly.

“They were gone for six months?”

“No, they were in and out, just didn’t care to check and see if I was around. Plus they were gone for fourth months on business, they vacation and work around the world all the time.”

“I’m sorry to hear Spicer.” I was starting to see why he used to be such a cry baby.

“Whatever, that’s how it’s always been.” He sighed. “Anyway, does immortality mean that you never change? Like you always stay in the same shape, hair never grows longer etcetera?”

“No I can change, it’s one of the reasons I continue to train.” I said as I finished off my glass of wine.

“Hmmm how old are you anyway?”

“Not telling Spicer.”

“Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot it’s rude to ask a lady her age.” He chuckled and I smirked.

“Low blow Spicer, I thought you’d fight better than that.”

“Pfft, like I’d even know how to fight in the first place.”

“Well if you’re still interested I could teach you a little on the side, you rely on your tech a bit to much for my tastes anyway.”

“Really?” he turned around to face me in a very surprised way.

“Well yes, you pretty much have moved in anyway and as I said I am a very bored man so why not?” I smiled evilly, “plus your luck might not win you your next battle against the monks.”

“Oh you suck” he stuck his tongue out at me. “And I’ll bite on one condition, you tell me what the catch is.”

“Very perceptive once again, for every time I own you in a sparring match, you answer a question.”

“And if I refuse?” he asked, very wary.

“Why don’t you find that out?” I tapped my empty glass as he mulled it over in his head, until finally he opened his mouth a bit hesitant.

“I guess I’ll try it out… but if I wind up getting fucked over im backing out.” he said with a huff before sitting up, crossing his legs defiantly.

“Then we have a deal, training starts tomorrow.”

“You planned this didn’t you, you bastard?” he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Yup.” I showed him my fangs in a very cocky grin and he rolled his eyes.

“Well then since I’ve been manipulated and shanghaied into training I guess I’ll be going to bed early.” He got up and stood in front of me, making yet another oh so mature face before saying goodnight and walking to his room, I sat there and smirked. I was a bit overconfident, but I had found a cure to my boredom and that’s all that mattered to me right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please tell me what you guys did and didn't like :) all constructive criticism is welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

I made a very unattractive grunting sound as I was thrown on my back for the umpteenth time, the air coming out of my lungs in a “whoosh” sound as tears surfaced due to the sheer force of impact.  

            Chase walked over just as smug as the past fourteen times or so that he’d done this, bent over at the waist so he could lord over me as he looked down, his oh-so-precious hair framing his face and making him look like a total diva. I would have told him to go fuck himself if I had been able to freaking _breathe_.

“Having fun yet Spicer?”

I wheezed as I attempted to kick him in the head.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He smirked as he caught my leg and lazily threw it back down on the ground. “We can either quit and you answer my question or keep going and get your ass handed to you…again.”

“I thought you we’re supposed to be training me?” I managed to get out, albeit pretty pissily.

“I have Spicer, I taught you how to block and land a proper hit on your opponent, even pointed out vital spots to hit and the beginnings of how to use your opponent’s strength against him. But this is your first lesson and you won’t learn to fight over night. Now do you give up or not?”

“Screw you!”

He laughed.

“What are you even going to ask me?” I sighed. “Maybe if it’s bad enough it’ll give me inspiration to fight harder.”

“I was going to ask who Toby was…” Usually I would have thought it highly strange that he had given me a straight answer seeing as that was almost impossible in and of itself, but the words he had said made my stomach sink…

I sighed and got up, rolling my shoulders as I took the defensive stance Chase had shown me. He just shrugged his shoulders before getting in the same position I was in and we started again.

Five minutes later Chase walked over just as smug as before, bent over at the waist so he could lord over me as he looked down. I didn’t get the wind knocked out of me this time though so I sighed and looked up at him with a defeated glare, still pissed.

“You have quite the ability to endure, I’m surprised you’ve made it this long.” He commented, seeing as he just _had_ to make a smart ass remark every time.

“Yeah well I think you broke my spine so I’m pretty sure I’m done now.” I crossed my arms as I huffed on the floor.

“Oh don’t be a drama queen Spicer.” He rolled his eyes before reaching out his hand in a gesture to help me up, I took it but didn’t give him much help in pulling me to my feet, one last and admittedly childish bit of resistance.

“You try being flipped on your back that many times and see how your spine fairs Mr. Immortal war lord.” He raised an eyebrow which alerted me I was about to get some sort of Heylin sass.

“I was at one point in your exact position Spicer, Dashi was not a gentle teacher, in fact I am being much more lenient in giving you advice on how to fight, I simply had to watch, learn, and try not to get seriously injured.” He said before walking off of the sparring matt, taking a long drink of water from a bottle and tossing one to me, I opened it gratefully and took several long gulps.

“So how long did it take you before you got as good as you are today anyway?” I asked as I sat down, I was nervously waiting for him to ask me about Toby but I was more than willing to stall a bit longer.

He took a long moment to think about it, head tilted back in contemplation. “well from what I remember I could only learn so much from Dashi and his goody-goody ways so I began my path to becoming a better warrior when I joined the Heylin side of the fight, as for how long it took to become how I am, well I am still learning and advancing, it’s not something you become satisfied with really. I imagine you never just settle on your inventions, you advance them and make them better, find new and more practical ways to build and have them carry out their purposes, which is how I am with my training. And if you want to learn how to fight I recommend that you see it in the same light.”

            I nodded as I listened and agreed that I should probably take it a bit more seriously, after all it would keep me from having my ass kicked and maybe prevent further accidents when I didn’t have my Jack Bots on hand.

“So, Spicer,” ah shit, here it comes. “Will you answer my question?”

            There was a long pause, full of tension before I finally exhaled in an attempt to lessen the anxiety that had pooled in my stomach. I had the decency to look at him but I ran a shaky hand through my fire engine red hair as I responded.

“Toby was… he was this little kid, maybe eight or nine. He was locked in that cellar with me along with a few other kids…” I took a long pause before I gathered my courage and went on to explain a bit better. “And for some reason he liked me more than he liked the others. So I made sure I did what I could for him, shared my food when he didn’t have any, calmed him down when… things, were happening to the other guys with us or to me even. I took his beatings for him if it was possible. Anyway we grew pretty attached and I wanted to protect him, I might be an evil genius who wants to rule the world but he was still a kid ya know?” I had my hands gripped tightly together in my lap now, the ability to make eye contact all but totally lost. “He was a really nice kid, had a good head on his shoulders, loved his mom and wanted to open his own candy shop when he grew up.” I chuckled. “He was smart, knew how to stay out of trouble better than I did some days…”  

There was another incredibly tense pause and I closed my eyes tight for a moment and just tried to breathe like they had shown me in the hospital, so I didn’t launch myself into a total anxiety induced fit.

“You speak of him in past tense.” Chase commented after I had gotten a little control over myself. “Why?”

            I smirked, tilting my face so he could see but still not really looking at him unless you count my fleeting glances. “You only have one question per each sparring match I lose remember?”

            He smirked in an amused way before nodding. “That I do Spicer, I guess I’ll just have to wait.”

            There was a really awkward moment after that and I didn’t really know what to do with it, just clutched my own hands between my knees and breathed to calm down. Thankfully the silence was broken by my Shen Gong Wu detector as it blared on the table next to me (didn’t want it to break on the matt with Chase so I took it off) and I picked it up almost wanting to kiss it I was so grateful.

“It seems you have somewhere to be Spicer.” Chase said calmly, I assumed he was just as glad it wasn’t awkward anymore seeing as his shoulders relaxed just a little bit.

“Yeah, don’t want to fall behind the justice-league on the hunt for Wu after all.” I said as I put on my detector, jacket, and heli-pack, heading towards the nearest ledge seeing as they were everywhere and an easy way to leave the building.

“I would think so.” He smirked. “You go on ahead and I’ll meet you there.”

“Wait.” I was really confused now. “You’re coming with me?”

“I don’t think you understand the levels that my boredom can reach.” He raised an eyebrow and put his hands regally behind his back.

“Man you need a life Chase.” I smirked as I opened a pair of French doors and stepped onto a ledge. He huffed in amusement before I jumped and went on my merry way to fight cheeseball and the other freaks for their Wu.

           

            The Wu was apparently located in a mountainous area full of rocks that could easily crumble if one wasn’t careful of where they stepped, although no one would know that at first glance, I had my scanners on it for that specific reason seeing as this was an inactive volcano and the crust could only be paper thin. It was apparently a good idea I brought it because the ground was a very patchy and inconsistent layer that could give way with enough pressure and I would be careful to avoid them seeing as I didn’t want to become part of the lava stew boiling underneath.

            I saw Dojo fly in again, god how did we always manage to get to the Wu at the same time what gives?

            Anyway they hopped off on a safe area but I didn’t bother to land, looking at my screen to make sure I was heading in the right direction, Chase decided to join in just then on one of the stalagmites that had formed when the volcano’s skin did.

“Be careful where you step.” I warned him and he simply nodded in response as he followed me, knowing I would make a path for him as we tracked the Wu, I saw it, absolutely miniscule but it glimmered as it stuck out of one of the rocks. I poured on the speed as I flew over to the object, seeing it was a plane silver ring with Celtic carvings on its exterior, simple yet brilliant and I couldn’t wait to figure out what it did.

            Chase was right behind me running as I saw Raimundo and Kimiko coming up to meet us, I began to formulate a plan since it was obvious this would be a… group endeavor. I had a brilliant idea that would help me in quite a few ways as we all smacked our hands down on the magical item stuck in stone.  

“I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!” I shouted before Raimundo could beat me to it. I wanted to dictate the rules of this game.

“Fine!” Raimundo was pissed I had taken the opportunity before he did and I smirked. “What are your conditions Spicer?”

“We’re going to play a little friendly game of mortal combat.” I smiled. “Our third arm sash and Thorn of Thunderbolt against your golden finger and star hanabi-”

“With Kimiko and I as the controllers.” Chase interjected and I made a T sign with my hands before looking at him.

“Do you even know how to play video games old man?”

“I’ll have you know that I played the Nintendo 64 very skillfully.” He crossed his arms defensively and I rolled my eyes.

“Can we get on with the showdown you guys?” Raimundo butted his head between me and Chase and I sighed dramatically.

“Yeah whatever, I assume you know the rules?”

“Yeah I do. Now we accept your challenge Jack.” He got back down to business and we all braced ourselves as the ground shook and everything began to change as always.

            The ground around us solidified and turned into a dungeon of smooth volcanic rock as it enclosed around our heads, stalagmites rising out of the ground as stones to throw at each other, Kimiko and I being pushed apart so we were on separate sides of the arena. Chase and Raimundo were both to our side so they had the original game view, pillars rising in front of them with the Nintendo 64 game controllers and I was both relieved that it was the version Chase was used to, and really curious as to how the hell these showdowns even worked.

            Chase picked up his controller with a familiar and smug look on his face while Raimundo did the same but with his oh so constipated expression of justice as they faced us, A buzzer going off above our heads making myself and Kimiko crouch and ready for battle, both of our Wu ready.

            I gave a small disgruntled sound of surprise as my body moved without my consent, Chase obviously being the cause with his controller as Kimiko came forward with a similar expression on her face. I was happy I recovered a bit faster and began to put my own effort into the motion, knowing what I’d need to do at the exact moment Chase hit a button.

            The Japanese girl jumped high as soon as she had a grip on what was going on and I ducked to avoid her kick, the girl landing behind me and I spun on my heels, firing the thorn of thunderbolt at her and laughing as she got fried, her hair singed at the edges which I knew she’d be pissed about.

“Star Hanabi!” she yelled as fire balls came hurling toward me and I did a flipping jump that hurt like an absolute bitch seeing as my body wasn’t used to bending in such ways, but I sucked it up and didn’t show any outward sign of it by sheer force of habit.

“Third arm sash!” it came from Chase who had figured out controls weren’t his only tools to use in this fight and the Wu shot forward to grab my opponent by the waist and drug her forward, I shot my fist out and felt the satisfying thud of flesh on flesh and the sting of the impact on my knuckles, knowing I bloodied them but to satisfied that I made such a solid blow to care.

            She made a girly shriek and I could hear her boyfriend curse loudly to the side as her jaw already began to swell in front of us. I smirked and unsheathed the thorn of thunderbolt again and chase yelled for the sash at the same time in order to mix probably the most satisfying combo I had ever seen outside of a videogame. And this time Raimundo was absolutely pissed. As we had grown older we learned that the showdowns had gotten more brutal, bones broken and blood spilt with injuries that lasted outside of the fight and we knew it was just going to get more and more deadly as the years went on. I took a bit of pleasure from this, we figured out no one could die during the showdowns even if you dealt a fatal blow, but you sure as hell could make them bleed.

            Sadly that was turned back around on me as Raimundo came forward with a hint of revenge, the golden finger freezing me in place and Kimiko lighting my ass on fire before preforming a high kick that sent me flailing to the ground. I got back up quickly and popped my neck which had been thrown out by the dirt.

“You hit like a bitch.” I taunted the both of them, smiling wide before I was jerked forward by the controller again, my fits coming forward on the girls blocked arms and I back flipped to pick up one of the rocks which bounced off her painfully. I wondered if they could see a health bar or not and if so how low was her health.

“At least I don’t act like one!”  Kimiko yelled as she jumped forward to axe kick my head but I bounced out of her reach to perform a round house kick just as her toes touched the ground and her eyes went out of focus for a second making Raimundo yell.

“Least she knows how to hit! If Chase didn’t have the controller you’d be on the ground crying like a baby you grease monkey!”

“Oh now that just wasn’t nice Pedrosa.” I mocked as I actually did land another hit on Kimiko, internally I cringed at his comment, embarrassed at my old behavior but I quickly got over it. That was the old me. Now I was trying to be better, better from old Jack, better from the Jack who was trapped in the cellar… better than the Jack that was here now.

“That’s the point you dumb ass!” he was frustrated I kept landing more and more crucial hits, I could tell Kimiko was getting weaker just by looking at her. Raimundo mumbled something under his breath as he tried to concentrate and I just couldn’t keep my big mouth shut.

“I’m sorry, we’re you saying something Pedrosa? I can’t hear you when you mumble like a coward.” I was frozen once more by Kimiko’s Wu and had a large number of punches thrown at me until I was thrown to the ground, breaking the golden finger’s hold and I was able to move again.

“Yeah Spicer. I said you’re useless.” It was a quiet and frustrated huff, like he was reiterating his defeated hopes that I would stop surprising him with my stupidity.

_“You need to stop lying to yourself Jack. I’ll just have to open your eyes to how useless you are…”_

“E-excuse me?” I was so floored for a second that it was like I lagged and Chase’s controller didn’t connect to my movements.

“Focus Spicer.” Chase looked at me sternly but not with anger.

“Did I stutter?” Raimundo rolled his eyes as he sent his girlfriend after me, I got my head in the game and focused as I blocked her hits, calling on the sash to bring her body violently heaving to the ground.

“Oh no, I just thought you might have something original to say.” _Be a smart ass like always Jack, shake it off._

“I guess that means you’ve had it said to you more than once then right? Well there’s a reason; maybe you should listen to what everybody says for once Spicer. You’re a total waist of space.” He had an angry yet defeated look on his face but he never turned to look at me. Something in my head began to come loose and I unintentionally responded as though his words had slammed me in the chest, letting my body be mindlessly controlled as I continued to fight.  

“Spicer look at me.” It was Chase but I didn’t do as he asked. Looking down as I let my thoughts roam back to the cellar. “Spicer-”

“What have you even done right Spicer? I mean you’ve been gone for an entire year. I’d like to know what you fucked up so badly to not even show your coward face to us for that long.” I looked to the Brazilian, that piece in my head beginning to absolutely crumble yet I knew he was doing this on purpose, he was seeing the pauses and lack of response from Chase’s controller with every emotion he exhumed. 

“Shut up.” I breathed weakly as Kimiko assaulted my crouching blocked position.

“No man, I’m really genuinely curious to what you did that makes it so you can’t even make eye contact with us. Common tell me the juicy details Spicer. Did you run away after some horrible lab accident?”

“Shut up…” It was an uneven, broken response laced with anger.

“oh I know, you we’re going to take the coward’s way out and try and kill yourself, but failed in that to like you do everything else.”

“Shut up.” _but I begged for it…_ angry, anguish filled tears began to surface and I tried to bite them back as my enemy grilled me harder still.

“What? Fucked up so bad it killed someone else?” he snorted, thinking it was impossible and funny to even think about.

“Shut up!” _yes…_

“Oh did I strike a nerve?” he raised an eyebrow and gave me the most sadistic smirk that made my stomach churn. “So you fucked up so bad it cost someone else their life? Man I wish it had been you Spicer, not having you around was the best. Whoever it was must have been pretty messed up to be hanging around you though, an idiot actually-”

“ _Shut your fucking mouth your ignorant little brat!!_ ” I screamed. 

            Both I and Kimiko we’re stopped and I looked up at the Brazilian with tears burning my pale cheeks, a pain in my chest starting up that could not be stopped now that it had been kindled into such a white hot ache. He began to laugh.

“Man Jack, just as big a cry baby as ever.” He found it especially humorous when my ache flared and I closed my eyes to curl in on myself slightly, clenched fists at my sides, teeth almost grinding and I took a deep breath before looking to Chase knowingly. He understood without a word, nodded and let go of the controller, clicking a button on the column that gave me free reign to do as I pleased.

            Whatever it was that had been knocked loose in my head was now officially fucked up beyond all return. I was angry, I didn’t mean for anything to happen to him, he never should have died and it _was_ my fault. But for them to completely mock his memory…

            I yelled for the sash, tears still in my eyes as I hooked Kimiko into my grip, taking the electric Wu in my head and jabbing it into her stomach, I knew it was wrong, I knew I was sick for it, but I enjoyed the scream she let out in pain. When she tried to summon her own Wu I slapped them out of her hand and began to throw her across the room with them. When she landed she wheezed and I shot the third arm sash out again and flung her toward my fist again.

            I continued to use my Wu in combinations and never gave her a moment to recover, Raimundo was yelling something but I couldn’t hear him over the satisfying crunch of bone as my leg broke several of the Xiaolin warrior’s ribs, eventually resorting to animal strength and throwing the Shen Gong Wu to the side as we fought hand to hand. She landed several hits but they were pathetic and I couldn’t feel anything but my anger in that moment, it was all that was keeping me going and I wanted to make Pedrosa pay for what he said. Eventually I knocked her onto her back and put my boot on her chest, crushing her already broken ribs and she coughed, blood on her lips and fear shaking her to her core as she looked into my deep red eyes. I lifted my foot in an attempt to crush her skull, all sense leaving me at this point as I had worked myself into a rage…

            A buzzer rang over my head as the girl under the shadow of my boot lost consciousness and I was immediately pushed away from her as the scene changed to the volcanic platform we had been in before, sunlight making me flinch. A large assortment of memories were triggered by the light and my anger grew, I realized what I had almost done but I wanted to lash out more, to hit and scream. I needed to leave. Now.

            I tried to leave, starting my helipack and violently trying to wipe away the tears that didn’t stop but Chase grabbed my shoulder roughly only to have me spin on him with an angry growl, trying to dislodge his hand with no avail. I struggled pathetically like an animal caught in a trap while he looked at me calmly, somehow managing to snap his fingers with the pile of Wu in his arms, everything blurring before I realized I was not on the volcanic plain but in the sparring room of his citadel.

            He didn’t let go of my shoulder but dropped the pile of ancient magical artifacts on the floor like junk, dragging me to the sparring ring and taking off his armor on the way, roughly tossing me on the matt and I was outraged with how he was treating me, lunging at him as soon as he let me go. He didn’t block surprisingly but took it without complaint. What was wrong with him? I threw my bloody fist against him again and he made a small grunting sound as I had hit his diaphragm but didn’t do anything else, I threw another one at his jaw and continued to assault him again and again, my tears blurring my vision but I couldn’t stop lashing out, what else was there for me to do? I couldn’t sit down and just let it consume me again, I couldn’t sit there and be helpless anymore or I’d die, I’d rather die. _Why couldn’t it have been me instead of him?_ A thousand thoughts like this passed through my head for painstakingly long minutes as blood began to run down my hands, my anger waning and slowly returning to the anguish it had always been. I launched my broken fist at him one final time before collapsing onto my knees with a choked sob.

“Why don’t you do anything?” I wheezed at the floor, watching it blur with my weeping.

            He didn’t say a word but lowered himself so he was crouching on his haunches, knees pointing toward me and looking at the top of my head as I took shuddering, uneven breathes, trying to keep it together. After a while he decided to reach out a bare, lightly curled hand to touch under my chin and made a simple request.

“Look at me Spicer…” I hiccupped and stared at the floor a while longer but after several more moments of trying not to sob, did as he had asked of me. 

            His eyes weren’t cold like I’d always remembered them, not full of hate as they had before I had gone away…

“You remembered what I taught you this morning.” He said frankly.

“…W-what?” I felt so weak and it showed in my voice, I didn’t even want to hold his gaze it was so taxing on my spirit. But then again I wanted so many things I couldn’t have to comfort me and it made the pain in my chest flare so much more strongly that I had to squeeze my eyes shut tight and clench my jaw to keep from wailing. 

“Spicer…” I opened my eyes too look at him like I knew he wanted and he continued. “You remembered everything I taught you this morning flawlessly, even as you hit me just now, I am glad to have a pupil who will take in my instruction as deeply as you have.”

            I stared at him for a long moment letting it sink in before I smiled painfully, I hadn’t fucked up… I’d done something right, and for Chase…

            I couldn’t hold myself up anymore and pitched forward with agony, fists clenched on the floor, hair brushing the matt as I sobbed, the perfect view of my blurry knees and Chase laid a hand on my back. I thanked him softly between sobs and heard him sit down in order to be a quiet companion, there was so much built up inside me I didn’t even have the capacity to be embarrassed for the sniveling display of weakness that I was giving to my former idol. I didn’t care, I needed to let the tears go, I wouldn’t wail like I wanted to no, but I couldn’t hold it in, it would be physically impossible for me to.

            An eternity later the tears stopped and I simply stared at my knees and the floor in exhaustion. I wanted to sleep for a week and closed my eyes in an outward expression of this, comfortable in the quiet that came after my emotional fucking hurricane.

“Come Spicer, it’s time to get up.” Chase said softly and I reluctantly sat up although hunched and drowsy, giving a sigh through my nose before standing up, realizing how much damage I did to my body in the fight, muscles pulled and skin burned.

“I need a shower...” I closed my eyes slowly in exhaustion as I stood on my feet, opening them just as sluggishly so I could look up into the drastically taller man beside me’s face.

“After we take care of your wounds.” He nodded.

“Wow, you’re not completely sick of me yet? After all the shit I’ve done today?” I asked in surprise, although my voice was horse and tired.

“No Spicer I am not.” He reassured. “Now common, those burns will hurt worse later if we don’t tend to them.”

 

 

I finished the patch job Chase had half done on me with a final tape up of my knuckles and some Advil, hopping off the counter and wincing at the pulled muscles behind my knees and in my back and stomach, those were going to huuuurt tomorrow and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

            I looked to Chase, thanking him for the second time that day as we made our way to the kitchen, the shower could wait because I wanted some food to hush my growling stomach and maybe break into the chocolate pudding stash I had built up because god damn it I need it.

“Soooo…” I trailed weakly, trying to put the disgrace I had made of myself behind us although I was by no means giddy. “What kind of food do you have that I can prepare in as little time as possible and stuff into my face?” I asked, and I could see that Chase obviously swallowed a dirty joke for his dignity’s sake as we entered the massively fancy kitchen he had.

“The basics a normal house would have, bread, fruit, peanut butter, jelly, some other sandwich stuff among many other things.”

A thought occurred to me. “Do you actually go grocery shopping?”

“Yes, I’m an immortal warrior not an aristocrat who has servants do their shopping.” He scoffed. “My cats don’t exactly just pop into the store with a grocery basket in their mouths and a list…”

“True, I just can’t picture you with a little shopping cart walking among normal people, it’s weird enough to just see u in your cat pajamas and jeans.” I breathed out lazily as I opened the fridge, taking out bread, cheese, tomatoes and a couple other things that id need for tomato basil soup and grilled cheese.

“well it’s not exactly normal to see you in pajamas either, I used to think you wired yourself into your computer at night and never changed out of that horrible outfit.” He retorted and I smirked.

“Fair enough.”

“so I assume by the way you’re backing me out of your space that you’re making us both dinner?” he crossed his arms as he leaned against the island bar.

“Yeah I thought I might as well, grilled cheese and tomato soup, I know it’s nothing fancy but I like it.” I said as I took out the necessary cookware, having to ask Chase where some of it was along the way.

“So do you have a lot of experience cooking Spicer?” He asked as he watched me put the soup together from scratch.

“Yeah I do, I’ve been cooking for myself for a long time and started playing with it and teaching myself around thirteen. No one was exactly around to feed me and I thought I might as well have fun with it.” I kept a soft smile on even though I really wanted to frown, still raw and not liking the memory that no one was even around to take care of me or know I had gone missing.

            I could tell he knew the exact thought that had gone through my head but didn’t comment, simply giving a long hum as he looked into the pot I was making the soup in.

“So, if you feel well enough tomorrow I think we should spar again.” He said and I groaned very loudly, rolling my head in a dramatic fashion to indicate how strongly I did not want to do that.

“Really?” I whined. “I might just have to put you off for a day, im still burnt and have all kinds of pulled muscles.”

“Excuses, excuses.” He said as he took a nibble of one of the diced tomatoes I’d laid out.

“No, no, I’d like to think my bodily health comes before your want of answers from me.” I wagged my finger at him and he smirked.

“That’s ok, I can get answers out of you one way or another if I really want to.”

“Oh really now?” I raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at him as I cut the basil, didn’t want to lose a finger after all.

“Yes, you seem prone to making bets and deals.” He said as he hoisted himself up onto the island now, a coy look on his face.

“Now you’re just picking on the poor depressed lunatic,” I smirked good naturedly but dropped the façade quickly because it took a lot of effort. “I won’t be sparring tomorrow and I don’t have any other deals with you so technically I hold the key rather I give you information or not.”

“Mmm perhaps so…” he lifted his chin to look down at me in contemplation, very regal of him. “But I can still ploy other ways if I so chose.”

“Such as?” he had to be bluffing, I might be brain dead after the massive amounts of feelings today but I still don’t think I could come up with any ways he could squeeze information out of me.

“Now that would be telling.” He winked playfully and I was surprised, seeing this impish side of Chase Young, evil Heylin war lord, was very strange but I liked it.

“You’re weird.” Was all I could say as I smiled and shook my head.

“Yes I know.” He smiled back, just as I was about to ask if he himself had any cooking skills, one of his feline warriors coming in with a letter in its mouth which Chase kindly took, patting the lioness on the head as he tore through the thick paper. “Ugh.”

“What?” I asked as I threw the basil in the pot.

“Wuya.”        

“Ew.”

“Tell me about it…” he said as he read the letter in further detail.

“What does the witch want?” I was genuinely curious as to what the old hag needed this time and how she would try and cover it up to try and save her dignity.

“She wants to stay here… Might as well let her.”

“What! Why?” I was really thrown when he hadn’t tossed the piece of paper in the trash or rather burn it like the unholy relic it was.

“Relax Spicer, she gives me good Intel, and there might be drama but it substitutes boredom.” He sighed as he threw it in the trash after all.

“I thought that’s what I was for?”

“True, and you are much better entertainment than Wuya, but I need to know what dirt she has on Bean, that and I’ll have her spy on the monks after today, you probably struck some well needed fear into them after all that.”

“Yeah…” I looked down and went quiet, I was ashamed of how I simply snapped, lost all semblance of common sense and humanity for that short period of time. I hated what I had become because of that man…

“What are you thinking Spicer?” he interrupted the spiral I was about to go down, taking a step or two closer to look at my face.

“Nothing.” I said simply as I continued to cook.

“Liar.”

            My frown deepened as I looked down at the bit of spices I was mincing, a large sprig of Thyme I had found in the fridge as well as some rosemary that I thought would taste nice in the soup. “Why do you always have to know Chase?”

“Because you are under my care.”

“Well I didn’t ask for it.” I grumbled as I started to chop a little more violently, he was kind of pissing me off with his nosiness.

“No but you needed it.”

I sighed loudly. “Then why lord it over me like everyone else does with everythi- ouch! Shit.” I winced as I saw little rivers of blood begin to drip down my fingers, I guess I had accidentally cut myself when I started my little tirade. A loud sigh escaped my lips as I reached for the paper towels beside me but Chase was already there, tearing off a square and taking my conveniently outreached hand to wrap the piece around it with an irritated sound.

“I swear Spicer, you can be so careless with yourself.” He sighed dramatically as I watched a red stain grow on the make shift bandage he had put on my fingers.

            I didn’t say anything though, staying stone still as he walked to one of his drawers and after some noisy clattering and a few curses of how messed up they were, a small cardboard box of Band-Aids emerged and a tiny tube of Neosporin. The tanned face of the warlord silently told me to give him my hand again where he promptly squeezed a dollop of the medicine on the small wound and put the adhesive strip around it, patting the spot kindly to signify he was done.

“I don’t know how you made it this long by yourself, I mean honestly.” He went on before hopping up on the counter, a long drawn out pause hanging in the air between us and I looked at the bandage, knowing that I had always had to do that by myself, so it took me a moment to process that for once in my life I hadn’t. I contemplated this and how he had helped me today. I guess he deserved an answer after all…

“I was thinking about how I snapped earlier…” I mumbled quietly before returning to my earlier task of chopping my herbs as though nothing had happened. Another long pause alerting me that he had heard me, although how could he not with his immortal magic man hearing and all, I felt my heart slam into my ribs in both anxiety and revenge for saying anything to him in the first place.

“It will happen less often as you heal Spicer, your reaction was not ideal but nor was it surprising with what the Brazilian brat said to provoke you. It wasn’t your fault, he poked the bear and paid for it.” He said simply and I nodded, taking a deep breath through my nose.

“That isn’t why I have a problem with it.” Holy god why was I opening my mouth again?

“Then why?”

“Because… because I want to have a handle on my own sanity. I didn’t choose to have it taken away from me in the first place and I want to have it back… I-it’s hard to explain but it’s a lot deeper than that…” I stuttered as I dumped the herbs into the pot with the simmering red paste that I looked forward to just shutting up and stuffing my face with.

“We have plenty of time Spicer, explain it to me.” He crossed his arms and looked down at me, I couldn’t have met his eyes if I wanted to, but I was brave enough to go on.

            I took a moment to compose my thoughts as I pretended to focused on what I’d need for the soup, opening and closing my mouth several times as I thought I knew what to say, but changed my mind and started over how I was going to announce my thoughts. I sighed and gave up, just going off what I felt. “It’s… violating, totally and completely and deeply violating.” I paused. “It takes away a part of me, dangles it in my face and strips it apart piece by piece. It’s like being locked inside my own head and someone else taking the wheel but I’m so brainwashed I don’t know it’s someone else until I snap out of it and see what damage I’ve caused. It’s scary because I really almost can’t control what I’m doing because I don’t know what I’m doing at the time, it’s like everyone who ever caused me damage insidiously slipped into my body and forced me to do something against my will. I can see why someone said its like being mind fucked because its… well its mentally being raped, but it’s so much more subtle and no one will believe that it’s happened to you or that it’s as bad as what I said, they chastise me for the comparison and call me a baby or an attention seeker because it’s not blatant… and it’s painful in a way I can’t possibly describe…”

            I realized I was shaking and put down the knife I had been using as to avoid another injury, taking out the heavy whipping cream in the fridge and pouring a bit into the paste, sticking my finger in and tasting it as to seem normal and like what I had just said didn’t bother me at all.    

            I chanced a look at Chase and saw he was eyeing me with something close to both astonishment and concern. I couldn’t get anything else on his expression because I was too much of a coward to give him anything more than a glance, I heard him slide off the granite counter top and come up close, gently pushing me to the side.

“You’ve had a long day Spicer. Take a shower and I’ll wait for you in the Library once dinner is done.”

“R-really?” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Yes Spicer, now go before I change my mind.” It was an idle threat I could tell, but I didn’t test him, thanking him quietly and awkwardly shuffling out of the room. I might not be able to take a long shower like I really wanted to, but I’d at least get a while to relax and compose myself, that I needed very badly at that exact moment.

 

** Chase POV **

            I was… surprised by Jack’s honesty to say the least. The look in his eyes even pulled on my evil frozen heart strings and for a moment I was surprised that I actually… cared?

            Maybe… no one else could afford to know that there was even a possibility though, I had already sent a warrior to tell Wuya she was welcome to come stay with me if she kept down the screeching and gossip, so I guess I would have to be a bit more stony around her… although I could always snap her neck if I wanted, she wasn’t exactly un-disposable. Jack would be ruffled by the change in attitude but I would send the hag out to spy most of the time so with the changes in behavior in her presence I’m sure he would be able to connect the dots and figure it out. Shit I was covering my ass, I guess I did care, damn kid.

            I was now sitting down in the Library waiting for said seventeen year old with both our meals, I had only been here for five minutes although dinner was cooking for about twenty minutes before that so I assumed he’d be joining me soon. If he wasn’t out in the next fifteen I was going in to check on him… after all the shit that went on today I was worried he might spontaneously collapse. Or combust.

             I had to admit he was a good cook though, the soup was pretty much done when I told him to take a breather, and it was pretty damn tasty for only having such simple ingredients to work with. He had a lot of different talents that I wasn’t aware about before now, his ability to deeply absorb information so affectively, his cooking skills and ability to survive in general was astounding to me.

 “hey.” I heard the same survivor say as he walked in, a long sleeved maroon T-shirt with plain grey sweatpants on, a towel around his neck as he plopped himself in front of the fire where I knew he liked to be.

“Hello Spicer.” I nodded before picking up my bowl of soup and grilled cheese, beginning to eat seeing as I had been waiting for him.

“You’re so polite.” He commented as he bit into his own food. “You could have started without me.”

“No I couldn’t have, I’m old fashioned like that.” I said stubbornly and he smirked.

“So you admit you’re a decrepit old man?”

“Screw you.” I smirked back as I tipped my soup bowl like a cup, used to drinking it straight from the bowl instead of using a spoon, bad habit of mine from my days with Fung I guess.

“So… why did you go to the showdown with me today?” he asked, looking up at me with curious and… dare I say it, adorable red eyes. After all he’d told me today I’d feel like an ass if I didn’t answer his question, the eyes weren’t needed to get me to spill tonight.

“Several reasons I suppose… I wanted to see if I could use it as a learning experience, manipulating your movements probably did do that for you, and I had a bad feeling in my gut and felt I should tag along. I’m glad I did.”

“Me too…” he nodded before switching subjects, “So when is the hag coming to stay with us?”

“She should be arriving sometime tomorrow if my hunch is correct.” He grimaced. “She doesn’t know you’re here by the way so be prepared for some kind of screeching…”

“God I hate that woman… I probably won’t be coming out of my room much, she’ll never shut up about how I have scar face now.” The boy made an expression of sheer distaste and dread, even sticking his tongue out before looking at me. “You’re nuts for letting her stay in your place, I lived with her too, she has no boundaries or sense of when to stop.”

“Trust me I know, she’ll be gone most of the time spying for me.” I assured him. “I couldn’t survive if she was hear most of the time with me.”

“Eh, still think you’re crazy for letting her in here in the first place.” He put his hands up in an “I give up but I don’t get you” gesture.

“Oh I am crazy for letting her in here I know.” I raised my eyebrows in an almost embarrassed way.

“Thank god you realize it at least.” He chuckled. “but then again it’s my fault for even letting her out of that damned box, I don’t regret it though, wouldn’t be on the Xiaolin scene if I hadn’t.” he looked into the fire I had started thoughtfully and I could tell he had an affection for warmth and the like, if the massive amounts of pillows, blankets, long sleeves and the space heater in his bathroom were any indicator. I had to wonder why but I wouldn’t ask today.

“I remember how happy I was when that bitch got locked into that puzzle box...” I knew I had a dreamy look on my face, god that was probably the best day ever.

“Wish I coulda seen it.” He nodded in agreement.  

            And so we continued to have non-important friendly conversation, he played on his phone here and there between the moments of silence and updated me on the things people were doing in the world, such as a certain man in power whose name I forgot, saying that they should stop the space program because alien’s were heathens and going to hell anyway… and apparently another complete joke saying that the moon didn’t exist. Jack mentioned things we couldn’t exactly make fun of like the wars going on in the Middle East and scandals in the Americas where Jack lived which were much more serious than some buffoon stating they thought the moon was just a light in the sky and there were no planets. I enjoyed hearing his angry outbursts when someone did something absolutely stupid though, and when he pushed his phone into my face for something he thought was funny. He was a simple human being just like anyone else and it was refreshing to see this side of him, not trying to practice his evil laugh or trying to childishly be better than his competitors for his ego’s sake like he did when he was younger, he had begun to change and mature long before the accident and I had seen it happening with a bit of intrigue, I guess he was just forced to grow up much more quickly than he should have in the year he had gone missing from all our lives.

            We had gone quiet again as I mulled over my thoughts, Jack facing the fire and his phone discarded on the floor by his head, simply enjoying the peace that the evening brought after the hellish day we had both experienced.

“Jack.” I had come up with another smart remark about the man who had said to shut down NASA and smirked to myself as I tried to get his attention, but he didn’t move. “Spicer?”

            I got out of my chair both slowly and cautiously after he continued to lay on the floor completely unresponsive, a certain feeling of dread icing over my stomach as I checked to see if he was ok, a loud sigh of relief escaping my lungs when I realized he was only asleep with a calm look on his face. _dumb kid keeps worrying me today,_ I thought to myself, I mean god only knows what I expected when he didn’t move, it should have occurred to me that he’d be passed out though, he must have been incredibly tired after the emotional roller coaster, sparring, and fighting he had done all within a span of what? Twelve hours? I looked at the clock and saw it was only eleven and nodded to myself, such a short amount of time for all of this to have occurred in. maybe I’d force him to meditate with me tomorrow, he needed some kind of aid in all the mess he had announced was in his head.

            He gave a small snort in his sleep and I shook my head, I wasn’t going to just leave him here on the floor as easy as that would be so I picked him up as gently as I could to avoid waking him, he seemed to be a heavy sleeper though and didn’t even flinch as I walked through the halls of my home. I laid him down between his two body pillows in an assumption before pulling his heavy quilt up under his chin and smiling smugly as he hummed and pulled one of the pillows close with both his arms and his legs. _Such a child Spicer, its obscene how you don’t care what other’s think. Or is that me being jealous that you don’t have to pretend all the time?_

            I watched him for a little while longer and had to physically stop myself from rolling my eyes as he drooled onto his pillow. Maybe he couldn’t stop himself from acting like a total dork all the time instead of not caring about it, or maybe not caring was just a side effect. Who knew with Spicer, he seemed to be an enigma in a scarred wrapper at this point although I’d never give up trying to figure him out, it was a challenge I simply couldn’t forfeit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all the people who have commented on my works, you guys keep my motivated ^_^ All constructive criticism is still welcome and i hope you guys like this chapter :3 muah! :*


	5. 5

I woke up the next morning very surprised I was in my own bed, the last thing I remembered being the feeling of guiltily falling asleep even though Chase was still there, but being in front of the fire just made me so sleepy that I couldn't have kept my eyes open if I had tried. I yawned before getting up, a sudden thought assailing me that made me stop mid-stretch. _So wait, Chase carried me here?_

            I took a moment to let that register in my brain and I almost rejected it several times, macho man Chase? Carrying me to bed? Pfft yeah right, it’d be more likely that I self-levitated or slept-walked into my own bed last night.     Either way I was in need of a quick rinse to keep my burns from hurting to bad and to help wake me up, it was almost impossible to stay on my own two feet in the mornings without some kind of aid, seeing as I usually didn’t sleep well and all that.

            I undressed as I walked toward my luxurious new bathroom, turning on the hot water and admiring the transparent glass that surrounded the walk in set up, the jet tub was right next to it and I sighed in content. This was paradise, I loved this bathroom so much. The sound of warming water and the steam that the heat brought were familiar reminders that things were normal and I smiled at the fact as I retrieved a towel from a nearby cupboard, going to hang it on the towel rack nearby and humming all the while in a content kind of way. I was interrupted though, the doors flung open and a certain boundary-less witch screeching as she entered.

“JAAACK!” she sounded just like she had when she was in her spectral form and I shrieked in surprise, wrapping my towel around literally my entire body and landing on my butt so I looked like a cloth blob on the bathroom floor, nothing but a tuff of my red hair sticking out of the bundle. “How did you get here before me!? And after disappearing on everyone for an entire year you miserable worm!”

“Wuya you bitch get out of my bathroom!!!” I yelled through my towel. “I’m fucking naked!”

“I don’t care! How did you get to stay here?!”

“With my consent you screeching harpy.” The voice of reason sounded from somewhere around the bathroom door area, Chase’s boots clunking on the tile as Wuya finally shut up.

“B-but, he’s a complete failure at anything evil!” She just wouldn’t relent until she felt she was better than me in Chase’s eyes and I internally huffed, she was so frustrating, it was the one thing I didn’t miss in the hospital.

“That’s not why I’m here you dumb ass!” I yelled and knew Chase was trying not to laugh at the scene, ya know naked me wrapped up in a towel so the bitch couldn’t see my scars, I didn’t care if she saw my junk she’d walked-well more like floated, in on me so many times it didn’t even matter anymore.

“Then why!?” she persisted.

“That is none of your concern Wuya, you are in my domain and if you need to know something, then I will tell you.” I peeked out of my little fortress and saw he was actually threatening her, his stone cold voice what made me come even that much out of hiding in the first place. “if you don’t need to know, then remember your screeching is what makes you as easily disposable as you are and that it would kindly do you good if you’d _shut up_.”

            There was a moment of silence as the Heylin witch tuned to Chase with a slack jaw from both shock that he had threatened her at all as well as fear, her face softening measurably as a sign that she had mentally stepped back into line. I looked back and forth between the two as this exchange happened, my original nature rearing its dumbass head as I made a long drawn out “oooooohhhh!” sound.

“You should apply some cold water to that burn Wuya.” I dissed.

“Shut up you hopeless moron.” She rolled her eyes just like she used to and crossed her arms, Chase suppressing a smirk as he cleared his throat.

“Now that’s settled, Wuya I will be escorting you out so we can discuss the conditions of your stay.”

“you didn’t say there would be conditions…” she narrowed her eyes at him as they began to leave the bathroom, Chase ever so subtly nodding goodbye to me and I let the towel fall just under my nose as I nodded back. He snapped his fingers so the bathroom doors closed and I could get up without embarrassment.  

“God it’s crazy around here…” I sighed as I let the towel fall around my waist, hoisting myself very painfully to my feet since my muscles were still sore from yesterday and checked the hot water, if those same muscles weren’t aching then the shower wouldn’t be needed, I just got a very interesting wakeup call…

After I finished my shower I decided to go walk around. I was on my way to the indoor garden after picking up that new Shen Gong Wu Chase had dumped on the floor yesterday, checking my Tumblr and other apps as I heard the sound of my bare feet padding on the floor and the faint echo of it bouncing off the walls. I loved the internet, I hadn’t had a lot of friends growing up in real life and the ones I did I lost when I was taken… the ones online were so happy to have me back and know I was ok. And some days that was all that kept me from ripping the needles out of my skin in the hospital and going into a full meltdown, those damn IVs and stat monitors made my skin crawl just thinking about them.

            I shook off those thoughts though as I put my phone in my back pocket and held the silver ring in the light of the hall, turning it over and inspecting the Celtic designs. I didn’t know what the pretty piece of jewelry did in its sense of magic but I’d put it on in the meantime simply for the fashion statement, it fit perfectly on my right ring finger so for now it’d just be a pretty decoration.

“ouch!” I hissed as a green and gold spark shot around my hand, originating from the ring as it continued to flash and flicker, little bolts of colored electricity sending painful jolts up my arm all the while and they only grew stronger with each wave. “ouch! damn it stop!” I shouted as I tried to yank the ring off my finger but it only sent the same pain into my other limb with a zap and I dropped to my knees it hurt so badly. I sat there jolting with the sheer force it sent through my limb, gritting my teeth and gripping my shoulder as though it would stop the pain from spreading, eventually the tingling electric feeling going from my fingers down to my toes and the top of my head, growing incredibly intense until I pitched forward, unable to cry out due to the fear instilled into me from the past.

            After what felt like an eternity of seizing from the high voltage instigated by the damned ring I had unknowingly put on a jack-bot appeared, I had forgotten they were wired to assist me when my vitals showed distress.

“g-g-g-go to the library!” I hissed and rolled onto my back as an extra strong wave of sparks shot through me. “G-get the book on Shen Gong Wu, l-look for this…” I held up my hand as best I could and it scanned the ring before whirring away at top speed, the medic bot coming in to replace the one who had left along with a massive swarm of others, a bit over kill but considering my luck it usually wasn’t, I mean look at this mess now. The red cross painted machine inspected me thoroughly, deducing my pain’s point of origin and trying to extract it but the amplitude of the magical item fried his system and he solidly dropped to the ground, chipping the stone floor.

            The Jack Bots assumed a protective stance around me, two more trying to take the ring off but met with the same fate as the medic before them, as soon as the formation was fully set and they all expectantly watched to make sure nothing worse happened to me the pain began to fade. It was just as unexpected as when this all started to say the least but I was so unbelievably relieved that it was going away and the spasms were subsiding that I let out a whimper.

            I laid on the ground breathlessly panting as the shaking ended and my first Jack Bot came rushing back with a book in hand, I hoisted myself up to sit against the wall and angrily glared at the piece of metal I had put together.

“G-great timing JB.” I breathed.  

“Sorry Sir.”

“Whatever, just give me the god damn book.” I snapped as he gently laid the book in my lap, I twitched a few times uncontrollably as I opened the dark leather covered Volume.

Several dozen flipped pages later and an intricately drawn ring caught my eye, the name underneath labeling the little fucker on my finger as the Druid’s Ring. I read further into the description to see if I was going to die or something from all the electricity that was just pumped into my body only to find this Wu gave the wearer the ability to use magic and to harness the energy in the air, neat, now why did it shock the bejesus out of me? I went on to the read that it was a natural process that came with the ring, a change in the electrical field had to be made so I could manifest the energy around me and be a sort of conductor for it. Well thank god I wasn’t going to die, one last note was written at the bottom of the page but I didn’t care to read it, I wanted to go and lay down in the garden since I was now spent and wanted nothing to do with people or Wu or anything of the like. God I hadn’t even been awake for an hour… it was time for a nap.

***

_There was no sound now, the ringing in my ears making my head ache horribly, the only light source of the room adding to this pain and I turned my head away from it only to be confronted with the dirty faces of my fellow hostages in their cage. Toby had little tears in his eyes and his mouth was open in an effort to talk to me but I couldn’t hear him, I just smiled softly to try to reassure him I was ok and closed my eyes, I was so tired, how long I had been lying here I wasn’t sure or even if I had been awake the whole time._

_“Jack!” The sound of my name was muffled and distant but I turned to the source, Toby was frantic._

_It was more like I felt myself hush him than heard it, mustering up what little strength I had to drag myself over to the cage, sitting propped up against the bars and holding out my hand for the little boy to grab onto since I couldn’t do much else. He tried to talk to me more and I confirmed that my hearing was slowly coming back although I wasn’t entirely sure why it had left in the first place, much of my memory from the past day was gone if not incredibly patchy and I didn’t want to know what had happened if I had to block it all out to begin with. So I focused on the brown eyes beside me, trying to assure him everything was ok and he didn’t have to cry._

_“But you weren’t moving!”_

_“I’m moving now Toby.” I hushed him as the sleeping captives beside him stirred at his volume._

_“b-but-”_

_“No buts, now take a deep breath for me.” He resisted for a moment, not wanting to let me off the hook but eventually wiped his eyes and did as I had instructed, taking a deep breath in through his nose, still holding my hand with a death grip but no longer in a panic. “Good boy, now try and get some sleep ok?”_

_He shook his head furiously, I could guide him and usually get him to do as I asked but that only went so far, he had a strong will which I admired even though it made things pretty difficult and that wasn’t something that we could usually afford. When it was obvious he would not budge I sighed and simply held his hand, feeling bad to admit that I did it half to comfort myself, lying on the cold floor alone was… undesirable to say the least and he was so kind for such a little kid. On a particularly good day down here in the basement he had asked me if it was possible to be brothers even if we weren’t related. I had told him the truth when I said that I wasn’t sure, but in our case it could be entirely possible._

_We had settled down despite his stance on not sleeping, my eyes closed as I began to fall into a blurred state of reality, strange, nonsensical dreams mixing with the real world and while I knew I couldn’t fall into slumber this would be adequate and I was content with it. The colors dancing across the inside of my lids distracting me in the sweetest way, but the basement began to grow colder and colder as the sun set and I was thrown into full consciousness as I shivered violently, what I’d give to dispel the constant chill in the air…_

_My wish was not only rejected, but I was punished for it as my stomach iced over like I knew the ground must have been outside. He was coming down the stairs…_

_I jerked violently as the door was opened and he stumbled inside, the brown glass of a beer bottle shattering against the far wall and I clenched my eyes shut, he wasn’t in a good mood tonight, which means I would have hell to pay._

_“Jaaaackie.” He slurred as he walked in, I deduced he was drunk, which had only happened twice before but I knew the alcohol would only make things worse for me._

_I whimpered and backed into the cage wall as though it could hide me, realizing Toby was just as scared and I squeezed his hand, putting him behind my back a little so I was the focus of our tormentor, I would rather take the beating than see Toby under this nameless man’s hand. Things worked out just like I thought and I was grabbed roughly by my arm and dragged back to the middle of the room where I was tossed onto my stomach and the well-manicured blonde took up a cane, I guess his usually intelligent tests and trials were not something he was interested in when under the influence._

_I felt the piece of wood come across my bare back and it hurt so much worse than what anyone would think a simple stick could do. I knew this would not be a short lived beating and braced myself as the cane came across my back over and over until I could no longer be quiet as he demanded and I began to cry, then whimper and eventually yell and scream. My back was raw and bloodied with how hard he could hit and how accurately he could duplicate his stripes, it was agony because they weren’t deep cuts, but they burned and had a rawness only this specific punishment could bring and I knew that I never wanted it again._

_“Shut up!” the man had yelled this more than once over the course of the beating and this time he stopped his assault and grabbed my dirt and blood streaked face. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, knowing the damage was already done and that I couldn’t appease him, I was going to pay for not staying quiet._

_I heard him rummaged through a drawer and could only just barely make out a small glint of light in his finger tips and an almost transparent roll of fishing line. The thing I saw didn’t make a complete picture like this and I was very scared and confused before I saw him began to thread the fishing line through the glint. A sewing needle._

_I tried to scramble away, apologizing all the while and promising I wouldn’t make a peep as he approached but he only cursed and stepped on my legs to stop me, dragging me back where he had me and sitting on my chest so I could hardly breathe. The needle and line were quickly brought to my mouth and the struggling and screaming and pleading only made it hurt all the worse, I eventually sat still and let him, it hurt less when I didn’t try to stop it. I had learned that a long time ago, I don’t know why I didn’t stay still for it all every time since I knew better._

_“Good boy Jackie.” He sneered sarcastically, I knew he must have had to suppress this side of him all the time if it came out so easily with a bit of alcohol._

_He took on different tools to torment me as the night went on, I remembered that for a while the stitches in my face had successfully kept me quiet, but then they began to tear through… the taste of blood was so strong and sometimes there were small mouthfuls that I couldn’t spit out, I almost choked on it all and it felt like I was drowning. The trails of ruby red trickling down my back, the taste and the smell, I didn’t know what he was even hitting me with anymore but a thin puddle began to form underneath me… I wanted to die._

_“Oh I’m glad I didn’t kill you Jackie…” I heard him say and was monumentally confused, that wasn’t how this was supposed to go, this wasn’t the story I remembered… “I can’t wait to find you and do this all over again…” He was suddenly in my face, his expression twisted and hateful, this wasn’t what I remembered, this wasn’t a memory… no it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. It couldn’t…_

“Spicer!”

            I gasped as my eyes shot open, a tanned familiar face trying to wake me from my nightmare and I choked on the noise I had almost made in fright and pain, bringing my hand to my mouth seeing as the agony had lingered from my head into real life.

“s-s-sorry” I stuttered behind my fingers, turning away from him on my side and pushing my face into the soft grass I had fallen asleep on.

            Chase didn’t say anything for a moment and I realized I had been crying in the dream so I wiped the back of my hand across my face, I bet I looked like a wreck even though I was trying to shake it off, the last part of that dream... _the threat to come and do it all again…_ I shivered at the thought.

“Spicer what the hell were you dreaming about?”

“I uh, I don’t remember.” I lied pathetically, an eight year old could have told me I was bullshitting them.

He grabbed my shoulder and flipped me over so I could look him in the eye. “don’t lie unless you plan to do it well Spicer, now tell me what’s wrong.”

“A nightmare, it’s fine really.” I insisted as I wiped my nose.   

“Obviously it was a nightmare.” The sensation of him rolling his eyes at my back was overwhelming. “I meant what was going on in your head to make you so…” he trailed awkwardly.

“It’s not uncommon Chase I’ll be fine in a half hour.” I sighed, I was all clammy and didn’t like the thin sheen of sweat I had collected during my thrashing around in the grass.

“You we’re crying out in your sleep…”

Shit. “What did I say?” I asked hesitantly.

He seemed just as doubtful to tell me. “Ummm… well things along the lines of ‘stop.’ And apologies and some kind of promise to be quiet…”

“Oh… I’m sorry you had to hear that…” I was so embarrassed he had heard me talking in my sleep, Jesus Christ I felt stupid. _Note to self: next time take a nap alone in your room so no one will hear you being a freak. God today is not my day._

“It’s not your fault Spicer…” he said seriously, taking a deep breath before getting up onto his knees and nudging me. “Come, I want to teach you something.”

“Oh God… no more sparring Chase, I have had a super shitty day-”

“No you idiot we’re not going to the matt, just get up and follow me.” He continued with an almost audible “sheesh” to his tone. I dragged my fist one last time over my puffy eyes as I stood on my feet and joined him.

“Ok, where are we going then?”

“You’ll see, it’s in this room over here.” He began to walk in the direction he had originally pointed to and I heavily thudded behind him in my exhaustion, curious as to what exactly he wanted to show me.

            The room he showed me too was one I hadn’t made it to in my time exploring earlier today, a simple and completely innocent door in the far back of the garden I had fallen asleep in was approached and Chase brought out a key from his pocket.. oooh fancy locked rooms. I liked those.

            When I walked in I had to admit it was breathtakingly beautiful, the floor was rough and uneven, a natural and somewhat level part of the mountain this place was built on and was covered in the thickest most vibrant green moss I had ever seen, I stepped on it and admired the soft feel between my toes.

“Come on Spicer I don’t have all day.” Chase smirked at me, noticing I had been staring at my toes like an idiot and I trotted to catch up to him, noticing all the ivy growing on the walls and the trees that were short enough to fit inside the natural bowl shaped rock. A secret garden.

            I wasn’t sure how big it was although it certainly wasn’t small. I’d guess it was about the size of a basketball stadium, not the court or the size of your average gym but like an actual professional _stadium_ such as the one I had seen the Spurs play in while I was watching TV at the hospital. There was a fixture on the far wall that I assumed was natural by its point of origin; a waterfall that proudly sprung from its rock home and fell like a ballerina from a grand jete right into a pool that then branched into many small rivers to go and water the rest of the garden. It sounded lovely as the river bubbled and the waters of the pond churned by the fall, fuzzy moss covered boulders surrounding it on many levels and I wanted to climb so I could listen to it all and relax.

            Apparently Chase had the same idea as he jumped onto the boulder nearest us and began to climb upwards so he was a few yards below the falls source yet just enough to the side of it so he was able to avoid the soft misting it produced, patting the spot next to him once he was well situated and comfortable. I took a moment to wish I had brought my helipack so I could fly up to meet him but followed his silent instruction on foot instead, curiosity really digging at me as to what he wanted to teach me and why exactly that needed to bring us up here.

“Sooo…” I suddenly yelped as I almost slipped off the boulder I was scrambling onto. “What exactly did you want to show me?”

“Come sit down and I’ll tell you.” He insisted as he looked at the blossoming trees that the view in front of him had to offer.  

            Rolling my eyes I continued with the rest of the climb just so I could sit crisscross next to him, waiting patiently for the lesson he had been so cryptic about earlier but also thinking about how he had kept me just intrigued enough to be able to follow and cooperate. I knew he was smart but just under the course of a week he had learned how to play me all too well and I had to say I was kind of impressed by that, he wasn’t manipulating me but giving me incentive to follow his instructions and that was something I respected.

“I’m going to teach you how to meditate.” He nodded his head at me. “Now I swear to god if you whine I will push you into that pond down there, so listen closely and do as I say.” I raised my hand and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes Spicer?”

“Just out of curiosity why are you teaching me this?” I really wasn’t opposed to any lesson he had to give me currently, actually I was kind of hoping he’d be able to keep me focused enough to Zen out like I had seen him do while meditating.

“Because it will help bring peace to your mind and that Spicer is something you desperately need.” He said frankly and I snorted.

“Well don’t beat around the bush on my dysfunction or anything...”

“There is nothing to be shy about because there is nothing wrong with you Spicer, just things you need to reflect on. Your ‘dysfunction’ as you pointed out to me was not your choice and therefore something that needs to heal, without a still mind that cannot happen.” He saw my blush and tacked on for his own sake. “I don’t exactly enjoy thinking you might be dying in my garden anyway so it’s beneficial to me as well.”

“Oh…”

“Yes, now shut up and let me teach you.” He cleared his throat before crossing his legs like all those yoga masters do. “Now usually the first step is to find the right location but obviously we have that so you’re first step currently is to find a comfortable position where you have a straight spine.”

“Ok, why does my spine have to be straight?”

“It allows balance and minimal muscle tension so you can slip into a relaxed state but not fall asleep.” He explained simply. “now since you are the most fidgety person I’ve ever met I want you to get on your knees in a kneeling position and pretend someone’s pulling a string from the top of your head so you can be as straight as a board.”

            I did as he said and tucked my heels under my butt, straightening my back as much as I could but he shook his head, grabbed me under either side of my jaw and pulled upwards so I was straight, it was almost like I was leaning backwards but not quite.

“Now we do something called ‘premeditation’ which is a method to help you relax and silence the static is your mind.” I was about to open my mouth to ask another question but he clapped his hand over it before a syllable could escape me. “Shut up Spicer. Now when I take my hand away close your eyes and let the tension come out of your body.” I did as he had said once again although with a very sarcastic eye roll to let him know he was ridiculous, letting my shoulders drop and trying to “limp noodle” as I liked to call it, closing my eyes as though I were going to sleep.

“This is weird.”

“Shut up.” He repeated irritably, adjusting my poor posture one last time. “Don’t hold your hands slack at your sides like that, you look like a gorilla and you’ll fidget, put them palm down on your thighs.”

I sighed. “Yeah, yeah I’m doing it.”

“good, now take three slow deep breathes, in through your nose and out through your mouth, fill your lungs with as much air as possible and hold it for a few seconds before exhaling… good now imagine you are letting out all the negative energies and tension with each breath and that you are taking in the good you want to see in yourself…”

“This is stupid…” I murmured, imagining I was inhaling gold colored air and exhaling a malevolent dark purple, this earned me a smack on the back of the head and I lost what relaxation I had attained. “Ouch! Ass-wipe!”

“Don’t be a brat, now start over.”

“Ugh…”

            After several failed attempts at this whole “meditation” thing I finally got to the point where I could focus on breathing, it was kind of cool to bring total awareness to jus your body, I could feel a slight dry tickle in my nose and the sensation of my diaphragm lifting and lungs expanding and retracting. Although I began to be a little self-conscious on how loud I was breathing since Chase was probably staring me down to evaluate all this and I began to wonder if I was doing it right…

“You’re judging the way you breathe. Stop it and relax, focus on the sensation of it and don’t let your mind wander.” Yup I was under a microscope.

            I didn’t comment on that though and simply put my mind back on track, feeling the effects that inhalation had and eventually I fell into an almost sleep like trance. My mind wandered many times but I liked the simple feeling of not having my brain run endlessly on me and always went right back to feeling my body, even trying that super corny visualization thing Chase had said to do at the beginning.

            I did deviate at one point since I was just as fidgety as Chase had claimed, cracking open my left eye to see my mentor was also meditating now that I had kind of gotten the hang of it; I was about to close my eye when he reached out a hand to smack me again.

“Cheater.”

“ass-wipe.” I rubbed the back of my head as he turned to smirk at me, only an eye cracked himself.

“you did very well for your first time Spicer, we’ll do this at least once a day from now on and start increasing your time once you can maintain your focus a bit longer.” He closed his eyes again and went back to his meditation.

“Soo…uh, what do I do now?” I felt a bit awkward sitting there and his tone implied I was done.

“Go explore the garden if you like, I’ll be doing this for about another twenty five minutes.”

“I can do that.” I wanted to see what kinds of plants he had stored in here, as a top ranking Heylin lord he probably had some very rare stuff.

            He didn’t respond to me though and I took a moment to scrutinize his face. He looked…happy, even peaceful which was an odd sight in and of itself since he usually had such a tight grip of self-control. To see him not completely contained was nice and reminded me he was human like me and not just the vicious dragon he liked to make himself out to be.

“Is there something I can help you with Spicer?” he raised a thick green brow, eyes still closed as he tried to concentrate.

I took another long moment to stare at his smooth features, realizing he was probably tired from all his immortal years of living. “You just look a lot younger when you’re happy Chase.”

I didn’t say anything after that, knowing it might sound strange and he might not appreciate me saying it rather it was true or not. So I slid down the boulder without another word to go explore the secret garden, I assumed it was pretty special to him and would take full advantage of the opportunity to see it since he was allowing me to.

 

**Chase POV**

_What an odd thing to say…_ I thought, opening my eyes just in time to see him slide down the rocks. I was immortal I always looked young… _oh_. It seemed he meant it the other way…

He was very keen to see things I didn’t want him to, meddlesome idiot, although he wasn’t that stupid if he had managed to persuade me to openly and somewhat foolishly let him into the only safe place I had in my home. And then have me let down my defenses so he could see me without a façade, on one hand it was refreshing and in another it was concerning…

_But I’m only fooling myself if I think he made me do it, he can barely control his own emotions let alone those of others… It seems I’m the idiot this time, I should have kicked him out after the first two days but now I’m attached which meant I’m stuck with him. Shit._

            I remembered the reason why I was supposed to be as stone cold as I pretended, I couldn’t exactly afford to feel because people would always destroy the things I cared for in the end. Especially now that I had so many enemies. God why did he have to say that, knowing I was tired of all this and pointing it out, that’s just rude…although in this case also payback with all the poking and prodding I did to him…

“Damn it.” I murmured under my breath. “Think about it later Chase. Focus on meditating now.”

**POV Jack**

It was really nice in this garden Chase had, peach trees just beginning to sprout fruit and it was peacefully quiet and not the kind I feared either, it was quiet like trees rustling softly and birds chirping and rivers flowing, it was perfect.

I had dunked my feet into the yard or so long river that I had followed, humming softly and watching the clear water to see if there were any fish, although I doubted it, the liquid was slightly warm, probably coming from a hot spring somewhere inside the heart of the mountain which meant the likelihood of fish was low. I began to transition from a hum to softly singing the lyrics when I was nudged from behind, jumping slightly.

“Ready to go Spicer?” I tipped my head back to look up to Chase.

“Yup, I really like it in here though it’s pretty.”

“We’ll come back tomorrow.” He smirked as he held out his hand. “Now come on, it’s time for dinner.”

“Already? Damn I didn’t eat all day…” I realized as we began to head back towards the regular and unlocked part of the gardens, rubbing my stomach in apology.

“That’s not good for you Spicer.”

“I know, I know, I just forgot today is all. What are we going to have for dinner anyway? I thought we were kind of out of groceries?”

“I thought we’d go out tonight, and how can you just forget to eat?” he seemed genuinely confused by that aspect.

“I don’t know I just do, I wasn’t fed a lot even when I was finally in the hospital so if my stomach doesn’t say anything it can just go unnoticed, especially if I’m working on something.”

“You are so strange…” he shook his head before ruffling my red hair, I needed to get it cut pretty badly. “Well since you didn’t eat, do you have any preferences on where you want to eat?”

I grinned wide. “Ever had Indian food?”    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! sorry the chapter is so short but i really wanted to get it out there for you guys to read since its been a while. I have classes now and a lot less time to write so it'll be longer between chapters but i promise i'll keep trying to get them out to you. :)  
> -hope you guys like it, comments are wanted and welcome!   
> -muah! :D


	6. An update for those who have been reading

hey everyone.  
i know its been a long time since ive updated. so i thought id at least throw you all a bone and tell you why i havent been giving you more of Jacks story.  
its been a good but really hard first year at uni  
ive been in a lot of trouble with my mental illness the past 6 months, meds have only made the depression and anxiety worse and i havent been myself enough to write, as much as i love to hear ya'll guys praise and to know my writing is actually being read.  
i promise i will update. i promise i will write more because it really makes me proud to know you all like it.  
its a work in progress as i get better and worse and better again.  
writers block is also a bitch.  
anyway be safe guys. i will update, and hopefully soon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please stay tuned, kik me at UberBunny327 for ideas, updates and so on if you'd like to chat


	7. update!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up for all of yall

so i got a message on kik today and i had NO idea anyone still read these! i published this when i was about 16/17 and now im 20 O_O but i have opened the document again and im reading through it from start to finish to get restarted. the writing will be a bit different. third person instead of first most likely and of course ive grown in my style. but im back on it for sure!   
thank you all for being patient and please by all means message me more! just be sure to say you're from AO3 in your first message or i might think youre a bot X)


End file.
